Don't Cry
by Lumino
Summary: Sometimes, we speak whole volumes without saying a word.  Now Completed.
1. Don't Cry

Just a little one shot, from a silent but saddening part of the game.

-  
>It was over...it was all finished, finally. How long had they known each other? Maybe a few weeks at most? It felt like forever. They'd traveled half of the world, doomed and saved it, sacrificed so much. They'd known sadness, regret, despair, happiness and joy, all in this short month. So why? They'd accomplished everything they all set out to do, why did it all feel so empty now?<p>

Matthew, Tyrell and Karis had found the Roc's Feather then come so far for, thought now it seemed unimportant in light of everything else that had happened. They had all, together, stopped the Grave Eclipse, saved countless lives, but she couldn't...even do the one thing she'd been trying to all along.

As she sat on the throne, wearing the new crown about her small brow, a silent tear fell from her eyes as the name returned to her lips. "Volechek..." She whispered, remembering her brother fondly. Life had not been terribly kind to them in the early years, but before this whole adventure. Before Luna Tower and the Tuaparang, before everything. Those days were peaceful, sure her brother was busy trying to hold his country together against their enemies, but he always had a warm smile for his dear sister, and the days were full of light.

She'd been running so hard for these few weeks that she hadn't had time for the sorrow of everything to catch up with her. Sure Belinsk was safe now, but the toll on it's people had been immeasurable. And their king, their powerful, wise and kind king...he was gone. All that was left was her, a little girl who wanted nothing more then to just hide away and forget that this burden was hers. This stupid piece of metal!

She plucked the crown from her brow and nearly threw it across the room, but her hand hesitated. This...was the kingdom both her and her brother loved. It was her duty, to them and to him, to protect and guide it as well as she could...But what about her happiness? Was she doomed to sacrifice everything in the name of her people and her country? Didn't she have a right to be happy too? She placed the crown down of the armrest of the throne with a heavy sigh. She still didn't wear the garments of her new position, she wanted to act like she was just their traveling companion, just for one more day...A smile graced her lips as she remembered it fondly. Walking down the long paths, laughing with Karis while Eoleo and Amiti argued over the legitimacy of his profession. Sailing on the majestic boat and feeling the wind flow through her hair from the Crow's Nest, while watching little Rief try to not get sick. She remembered thinking it funny that a Mercury Adept would get seasick. How Tyrell would always bite off more then he could chew, and then usually get reprimanded by Karis. They were such fond memories...but some would always stick out stronger in her heart.

Matthew...the first time she saw into his heart. All she saw was warmth, she'd assumed from the embrace of mother earth's power flowing through him. But it was different, there was a warmth that came from him even when she wasn't using Spirit Sense. When she'd nearly fainted outside of Belinsk Castle when she had the vision of the Opera House, his arms where there, holding on to her shoulders and anchoring her to the real world. When she wanted to fall down and cry over the burden, all it took was his knowing glance and the sorrow in his eyes to give her the strength to push it aside. She knew they were close, they all were, but then...

It went beyond that, she had a connection with him most mortals could only dream of. She'd touched his soul, she knew it. For a few brief moments, they were completly unified. It was an odd feeling, as if she could feel what he felt, and her own feelings. She was having trouble determining what was what, though. She know she felt something pure, something strong, was it love? Was she in love with him, was he in love with her? She'd never felt it before, and she'd rarely had the chance to look him in the eyes after that. Once Volechek had...protected her she'd fallen apart. She wasn't sure how long she lay there, crying into Matthew's chest as he held her. The next thing she remembered they were on the Endless Wall, marveling over the now clear skies. At that site, her heart had lifted, but now she felt it falling again as the reality of how everything would be changed forever finally hit her.

She snapped herself from her daze, realizing quickly what time it was. She was supposed to be seeing everyone off! In a panic, she left her crown sitting on the throne. If they were to see her, it wasn't going to be as Queen Czamaral, it would be as Sveta. That was who she'd been on the journey, that was who she was to them. And that was the only version of her she actually liked, the real her.

Oh what she would give to be Sveta forever.

-  
>Sveta was oddly quiet through the goodbyes. She shared a hug with Karis, as the good friends they were, laughed at Tyrell when he made a fool of himself, as they were all quite used to, and displayed some disdain when Eoleo mentioned picking up his old man's slack. Still, they were all her friends, and that was all there was to it. She was a Queen, Amiti was a Prince, Himi was a Princess herself, and one could call Eoleo a 'King of the Seas'. She wasn't the only royalty here, half of her companions were so! This thought brightened her smile, even though they were all so different, they all had lives to go back to. They all had work to be done, and reconstruction to aide with. Finally Karis spoke up.<p>

"The longer we stay here, the harder it is to leave. Let's go home." She said, and Matthew turned with a nod. And so, the three said their farewells and turned from the city, starting down the path.

_H-He can't go...not like this...!_ Sveta ran forward, she wanted to cry out, but her voice was stuck in her throat. What could she do, what could she say? Matthew and his friends turned around, and he smiled. He waved to her. That was it, that was all she could do. She could be happy for him, she wouldn't make him worry about her. She raised her arm and waved it strongly, stopping for but a moment to wipe a wayward tear from her eyes. No, she couldn't cry. She was a queen, she had to be strong for her friends so they wouldn't worry.

No, that was wrong. She was _Sveta_, she would not let her friends be worried about her. She would be strong and capable herself, because she was who she was. Not because she was the queen. And as Matthew waved back she could have sworn she saw a glitter from his eye.

As they turned around again, Matthew rubbed his sleeve across his eye for a moment, but didn't look back. If he had to look at her again, he felt like he wouldn't be able to leave. And the two who for one brief moment had been one felt their minds unite again.

_I won't cry, not until we meet again..._


	2. Stop and Go

I was loathe to make this into a chapter fic, since that will invariably take me to the biggest fault I have as a writer. I cannot write endings, to save my life. But, upon a few suggestions I got the desire to resume this, and I just love the couple way too much to simply let all my ideas for them roll over and die. So let's give this a go. This chapter contains a homage to another great writer of this section. I just love doing references.

-Don't Cry: Chapter II-

He heard her voice as she spoke to him.

"Matthew..." It echoed around him pleasantly. There they were, atop the Teppe Ruins, where she was splitting off with them...she couldn't help them with the Mountain Roc...Matthew would be lying if he said the split hadn't bothered him.

"Matthew." She said again, more forcefully this time. They were in the streets of Belinsk, the calling coming from the ruins beneath the town. She was beckoning to him, he needed to go to her.

"Matthew!" The shout came, he was on the ground. Looking up at the light filled sky, he blinked trying to remember where he was. As her pained face came into view and she grasped his hand tenderly, he remembered.

And then she smacked him upside the head. Matthew's thoughts came spiraling back to reality with a stifled curse.

"Weyard to Matthew, you in there?" Tyrell practically shouted into his ear. Matthew winced at the noise, and took in his real surroundings. They were in the Border Town...and Karis was standing next to him looking quite concerned. Oh right, they'd been going home...they'd just left Belinsk earlier today. Looking at the sky Matthew noticed the sun starting to set, they'd probably have to stay here tonight and cross over tomorrow. Karis looked to him worriedly.

"Are you ok Matthew?" She asked, concern showing on her face. "If you're still tired from the Apollo Sanctum, we can rest here for a day or two."

Tyrell just laughed. "Hah! As if! Matthew's gotten beaten way worse then this when our dad's were training us! This one time, he had a bruise bigger then my fist!" Tyrell said, making a fist for comparison. Matthew chuckled lightly, but Karis admonished Tyrell with a glare.

"And not all of us are as thick headed as you Tyrell. Now come on, let's find an inn. You look like you are about ready to faint."

Matthew didn't think he looked that bad, but he knew better then to argue with Karis when she got like this. Nodding, he allowed her to lead the way into Border Town.

As they walked down the empty streets, a thought crossed into his mind.

* * *

><p><em>How are they doing right now?<em>

* * *

><p>That was the thought that crossed her mind as she allowed herself a moment of respite from her duties. She'd known what the job of Monarch came with it, but she imagined none of her companions would realize how much of it was paper work and bureaucracy. Himi and Amiti's nations were small, Amiti's had very few dealings and Himi's was fairly isolated. None of them could know what it was like to run a country as massive as Belinsk was. She looked over the current piece of paper on what was her brothers old desk...no...this was her desk now. She sighed to herself, that just sounded so wrong! She wasn't her brother, how could she hope to fill his shoes? She forced herself to look over the paper, her brother had been working on it since before...before the Eclipse. It was an agreement of trade rights between Morgal and Bilibin. In these days of recovery, it would certainly be welcome. Of course, those from Bilibin didn't entire trust the beastman nation, but Sveta knew they could work through that if they had the chance.<p>

The documents always felt like they were written in another language, the wording was always so long and verbose, like trying to trick each other. She much preferred to do dealings in person...hey...now there was an idea.

She stood up and stretched, how long had she been sitting at that desk? Ugh, how did her brother do it, she mused, hearing a pop from her back. "Mr. Bentley!" She called, waiting for the sound of scurrying feet. In but a moment, a very harried looking squirrel-man stood at her chamber door.

"Your majesty?" He spoke, slightly out of breath. Sveta smiled warmly, suppressing a giggle. He was one of her brother's best aides, and she could see why. He was very dedicated to his job, if not a little excitable.

"I am planning a trip into Bilibin to discuss the trade agreement...personally. I do not feel like parchment and ink do either of us justice in these times. I intend to leave you in charge of the reconstruction efforts here in Belinsk. Do you understand?"

His mouth opened and closed several times, as he attempted to find the words to describe what he'd just heard. "B-But you Majesty! We have not the soldiers to spare for a proper entourage to protect you and the town! And what of the people? For the Queen to leave so soon after she'd returned!" He was panicky, and sweating profusely. "And besides, I am nowhere near qualified to rule in your stead, majesty."

Sveta walked over to him with a smile and patted the shorter beastmen on the head. "Mr. Bentley, how many documents have been sent from Morgal to Bilibin in the last five years?" She asked, pursing her lips slightly.

He stopped in his tracks, looking up at her as if counting. "Your majesty, over the last five years we have sent Bilibin two hundred and fourteen documents, including one hundred and thirty-seven regarding trade agreements, forty-three regarding peace treaties, thirty two regarding festivals and diplomatic functions, and two regarding the crowning of your brother and then yourself as Queen Czamaral." He finished, looking quite satisfied with the numbers. Sveta's smile only widened.

"And that, Mr. Bentley, is why you are more then qualified to run the reconstruction in my stead." The squirrels face fell into shock when he realized the trap he'd just walked into. "You were my brother's most trusted advisory, and you have done nothing but give me wonderful advise and take your duties with more seriousness then I have ever seen. I think you are more then capable of this."

"B-But your majesty! What of your guards? And the people!" He stammered out. Sveta flashed a toothy grin. "Guards? Mr Bentley, need I remind you what I have been doing for the past month? I do not believe any Bandit or Assassin could pose too much of a threat unless they brought an entire army, and that would be rather difficult to hide, don't you agree? And the people will be fine, after all, I am leaving them in your care. And I know not a more dedicated man then yourself to trust them to."

"B-But!"

Alright, enough was enough. "Mr. Bentley." She spoke sharply. "This was not a request, this was an order from your Queen. There will be no more debate, is that understood?" He shied back from her, gulping hard as the hand of fate squeezed around him.

"Y-Yes, your majesty."

Sveta smiled brightly, looking forward to this adventure. This was going to be like old times...well, not entirely like old times, she thought with a pang of regret. None the less, she moved to her dresser and opened it, finding her old traveling clothes. As she pulled them out, she heard the squirrel behind her squeak up.

"Um...Y-Your Majesty? N-Not to bother you again, b-but if you are leaving someone else to rule in y-your stead, it should be...um...written, so that there is no confusion." The last thing he needed was people accusing him of murdering their beloved Queen to steal the throne, oh this was not good at all!

Sveta turned for a moment, considering this. "Hmm, you have a point..." She said, pulling out a roll of parchment from the desk drawer before writing quickly on it.

_I, Sveta Czamaral, leave charge of the kingdom of Morgal to my closest adviser, Mr. Bentley, during my absence._

She finished the small letter with a formal signature, and then scratched her own hand. The small trickle of blood came from it as she pressed her hand to the paper, leaving an outline of the center of her palm. A wolfmen's paws were much like a human's finger prints, no two were quite the same. With a quick muttering, the wound closed itself up and she looked over the document, showing it to him.

"Will that be sufficient then?" She asked. He nodded, still rather stunned. "Excellent! Well then, I need to get changed and..." She noticed as he went to the door and spoke up. "Oh no no Mr Bentley, this is your personal office now, allow me." She said, walking towards the door and ushering the squirrel in. "Hmm." she said, placing her finger on her lip. "You need a new title...one that allows everyone to know you are in charge now..." She thought for a moment before snapping her fingers.

"Ah! Yes of course. Good luck, Viceroy Bentley." She said with a smile, moving out the door with a her traveling attire over her shoulder.

The squirrel sat there, stunned, for a few moments more before he collapsed into the chair, his face falling below the desk. All right, first there would need to be some height adjustments.

* * *

><p>Sveta thought, with some amusement, that she'd broken out of her home more then anyone had ever broken into it. She'd had to sneak out when she went to Te Rya village where she met with Matthew and his friends, and she'd had to sneak into the ruins when she met with them again. When her mind ran over that name, she stopped in her tracks. He'd be there, wouldn't he? She was going towards Bilibin, so the border town. They were trying to get to Mt. Aleph, far to the west. She wasn't sure of it's exact location, but she knew it was past Bilibin...maybe if she moved fast enough?<p>

The thought made her smile. All of her friends...well half of them...but still! She was absentmindedly packing her things, and nearly slipped her hand into the Bloody Claws she kept in the side of the drawer. She pulled her hand back as if it was burned, that would not do. Carefully she moved them into a locked drawer, wondering why she hadn't done it before. She looked over her equipment...there was the old Umbra Gear that she had kept, but that was too valuable to just use as she felt like. It was a national treasure of Belinsk now. Shrugging to herself, she packed away a set of Mythril Claws, and moved to slip out of her royal gown and into her combat dress. It felt so much more comfortable! Not to mention that assortment of smells on it reminded her so much of the journey they had all under taken together.

When she looked up, the sun was already setting. She frowned, this was not good, she'd never make it to the border town tonight. Maybe she should depart tomorrow?

She shook her head, to restore her conviction. No, she would depart tonight. No sense in waiting.

And amidst all the planning, she'd nearly forgotten what her alleged reason was for going. She was just looking forward to seeing her friends again.

But...a thought gave her pause. Eventually they would have to say goodbye. She couldn't dodge her responsibilities forever, and Matthew had a family and a duty to go back to. The thought weighed on her mind. It would only be harder to say goodbye this time...

She remained as this for a few moments more, arguing for herself. To go would be childish...it would not be how a queen should act.

But she wanted one more adventure as a child before she had to be queen. She'd helped save the entire world, didn't she deserve some time to be a little spoiled?

It was with this resolve that she shut her pack and placed a foot on the window sill. And before she could second guess herself, she jumped.

* * *

><p>Matthew noted, as they walked, that Border Town seemed to be incredibly quiet. He imagined that it was because of the Grave Eclipse, people must still be scared of the dark. There were the signs of destruction, but they had done an admirable job of defending themselves. It wasn't until they got to the inn that they could see why. Karis' eyes snapped open and Tyrell just groaned as Matthew finished the thought.<p>

"They cut the bridge..." He remarked, dead pan. Of course, that was why the streets were empty, all the people had evacuated to the Bilibin side and then cut the bridge. And the monsters weren't interested in causing property damage, so the town seemed to be fine, just quiet. Tyrell sighed and looked to Karis, who also looked heavily depressed.

"Well?" The taller Mars Adept asked. "Now what?"

Karis began ticking off her fingers. "Eoleo already left with Himi and Amiti, Kraden and Rief are god knows where, Sveta is on the throne...I don't think there is anyone left who can help us here."

Matthew looked to Karis, clearly confused. "Um...we are in Morgal right now? We could ask Sveta for some help rebuilding the bridge." He suggested, and Tyrell smiled, clapping his hands.

"Hey, yeah! We're all good friends! I'm sure she'd be willing to help us!" Karis sighed and slapped Tyrell on the backside of his head. "Ow! What was that for?" He complained.

"Tyrell...Morgal was devastated by the Grave Eclipse. Sveta is new on the throne and needs to focus on restoring her country. We can't distract her with things like this until she is ready for them. We'll have to find another way across."

Matthew sighed, looking over the chasm. "We should get some rest...the bridge isn't going to repair itself overnight."

* * *

><p>Honestly, I made this chapter on the fly. I had no idea where I was going with it when I started, but now I have a decent idea. We'll see what happens. :D Also, I'd like to apologize for borrowing Mr Bentley. The character was just too perfect for what I needed, and I think my homage to 'Drops of Jupiter' kept him fairly true to the way he was developed.<p> 


	3. Building Bridges

On a role with this lately. A lot of good ideas just jumped into my mind, and I always have to take them to paper before they vanish on me. So let's continue.

-Don't Cry: Chapter 3-

The dawn came sooner then Matthew would have liked. Sleeping in this abandoned town hadn't been particularly restful, and it seemed he had only just gotten to sleep when the chirping of birds outside roused him from his slumber with a growl.

_Little birds...I will find your nest and put a sword through it..._ He grumbled to himself, stretching his arms out with a yawn. He'd probably feel better with some food, he was usually a morning person, but today just seemed so...tiring. And it hadn't even begun yet. He moved his legs from the bed he'd crashed in last night, looking about the room. Empty, as he remembered it. Looked like the inn owners had taken everything that they could before they fled across the bridge. Wait a minute, something had occurred to Matthew as that thought passed through his mind. The last time they were here, the bridge was up, they couldn't get through to Biliblin. That was because Morgal and Biliblin were, apparently, on the brink of war. Come to think of it, that fact was one of the reasons Volechek raised the Eclipse Tower. If the bridge really was destroyed, why were there no bodies on this side of the chasm. It seemed unlikely that a nation they were nearly at war with would take Morgal people in. Maybe he was thinking to hard, after all, people were people, and he liked to believe that most of them were good and wouldn't watch people get attacked and killed while they hid. Suddenly, the sound of something being knocked over downstairs dragged him back to reality. With a jump, he grabbed his sword and headed for the stairs.

He was barely halfway down them when he could make out voices.

"Careful! You're going to break what little is left!" Came Karis' exasperated voice. To which the usual reply came.

"You're worrying too much, I've got it...I just need...a little more...there!"

And another crash followed this, and Matthew sighed into his hand with a half smile. Some things would never change. He continued down the stairs to find out what Tyrell had just broken.

* * *

><p>Sveta had, to spite her better judgment, traveled through the night. There had been some monsters out, but they hardly even qualified as a warm up after fighting through waves of Eclipse monsters. She knew the town should be in view soon. She hadn't traveled there in a while, but it shouldn't be that far away. As the dawn broke the horizon, she bit back a yawn as she finally saw the buildings come into view. She was quite tired, she'd been up all day. Maybe she'd just take a short nap out here, and then proceed to the town when she woke from her nap? The idea was tempting, but her mind was still rational enough to remember...if she slept, by the time she woke he could be gone...and then she might never catch up to him before Biliblin. After all, they were just going to 'bump into each other', there was no other reason she'd come this way. She had queenly duties, that was all.<p>

She giggled inanely to herself, the thought of it ludicrous to even her ears. She resumed walking forward, confident that she would reach her destination before long. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

It would seem, nothing at this juncture. She reached the edge of the town with no trouble what-so-ever. She took a deep breath, and instantly her senses knocked her back into reality. She smelled mold...dust...but not life. The human and beast men smells were faint, almost gone entirely. With a stiff breeze however, something familiar wafted past her. The smell of...granite...pine...and...! Her eyes snapped open. They were here! She was right! She almost broke into a run as she searched about the town for her friends, she knew they were here!

The smell seemed to be heading for the inn, small wonder. But when Sveta arrived, she found it oddly empty. That was an odd part, why was the town so empty? She hadn't heard of any evacuees coming to Belinsk, and there didn't seem to be any major death or destruction here, it was as if they'd just...left. As she looked around the inn, she spied the stairs leading up. She cautiously walked up the stairs, careful not to let the steps creek under her weight. When she got to the top, she smelled him...this room, he was here...very recently! But alas, the room was empty now, where had they gone? Had they already crossed over?

Sveta peered out the window, and what she saw made her heart sink. The bridge...

"It's gone..." She said, more despair in her voice then she could have imagined. With it gone, she couldn't get to Biliblin, she couldn't find her friends, she couldn't...

And then she saw them, standing at the edge of the cliff, staring across to the other side. Her heart leapt in her chest, they were all there! No longer being careful to avoid making noise, she ran out of the inn and hopped on to the lower path, towards the guard shack just before the ruined bridge. She slowed down as she approached, but Karis had heard her and turned around quickly. When she saw what she was looking at, she nearly shouted in surprise.

"Sveta?" She called out. "What are you doing here?" She questioned, running up to and hugging her friend and companion. Sveta returned the hug and laughed with Karis.

"Oh...I came to visit Biliblin to try and set up trade agreements. The written agreements they send seem so...impersonal." She explained with a smile, this smile was aimed at the boys behind Karis, who had turned to notice their old companion. Matthew's expression was quite hard to read, and she wished he was a little closer so she could get a better look at what he thought.

"But it looks like that will have to be delayed...the bridge..." Sveta said, her face falling.

"Yeah." Tyrell said. "We're kinda stuck too. I mean, if we had some help we could probably..." But a glare from Karis silenced him.

Sveta, however, grinned from ear to ear. She was stuck, yes...but so were they...and until the bridge was fixed, none of them would be moving forward. Sure she could call for help from the castle, have it repaired immediately, but that would be too quick. Her mind was cunning, and it already had a plan.

"Yes, that's unfortunate, your quest was very important wasn't it?" She said, looking over the destroyed bridge. "It will be quite some time until we see Eoleo again I would imagine, most of Belinsk's boats are not seaworthy currently, and I am sure my Viceroy has his hands full just with the reconstruction, so I am not sure what kind of help I can offer."

The four stood there for a few moments, staring out at the land they all needed to reach, before Tyrell broke the silence. Unshouldering his Herculean Axe, he walked over to a nearby tree and struck it once. It left a decent sized cut and he continued the motion. Karis stared at him in confusion.

"Tyrell, what _are_ you doing?" She asked.

Tyrell glanced back to her for a moment before taking another swing. "Well, Matthew said it himself. The bridge isn't gonna build itself. So if we want to get over it, we better get to work." He gave another swing and saw the tree begging to waver. "Timber!" He shouted, more by seeing Carver's men do it then by any real need to warn. As the tree fell, a bright red light flew from his pocket and began burning red hot. Tyrell's eyes snapped to it.

"Nonononono!" he shouted out. "Not you Tinder! It was just a warning!" The Mars Djinn, which had been ready to launch it's revitalizing flames, would have looked annoyed if such things were possible, and then zipped back into Tyrell's pocket. Tyrell let out a relieved sigh, and all of them, even Karis, found it hard not to laugh.

* * *

><p>When Tyrell had suggested building a bridge, Sveta would not have imagined even he was serious. But now, two days into the project, it was still continuing. She knew they were a little awkward with a queen helping with manual labor, but something after the fifth reassurance that she needed the bridge as much as they did, and that she was just their companion, like before, they finally let it go. Now she found herself kneeling on a plank of wood above the cliff face, hammering in a set of nails. She had to admit, with a satisfied smile, she got fairly good with manual labor over the course of their adventures. And now look at her, she was a perfect representation of her people. This is probably what they were all doing right now, working on reconstruction, so why shouldn't she? A shadow was cast over her as she looked up to see who obstructed the light.<p>

"Hey Sveta, take a break for a little bit. You've been going non stop." Karis spoke, extending a hand to the beast women. Sveta, for her part, gave the nail she was working on one last sharp rap before placing the hammer down and taking Karis' hand. She stood up and wiped the sweat from her brow, stepping off of the bridge-under-construction. "Ah, thank you Karis" She said, stepping down onto stable land. "Whew...this work is...very hard." She finished, smiling up at the green haired girl. "But it is oddly rewarding to see what you can do with your own hands." She finished, admiring what they had accomplished so far. Collecting and moving the materials had been easy. A Psynergy push and pull here and there, some innovative uses of Grip, even slapping a few piece of old lumber loose from houses to use on the bridge. But, there was no way around the nailing of planks. It had to be done the old fashioned way. Sure, the bridge didn't have to be fancy, if they wanted that then Biliblin could just rebuild it. It just had to be stable enough for the four of them to cross, and maybe for others who might be stuck on the other side.

"Karis...I've been thinking on something that's been bothering me." Sveta said, looking across the chasm. "Why can we not see people on the other side? I mean, yes the walls, but we have been making a good deal of noise over here. Shouldn't someone have taken a look?"

Karis looked over the way, and sat down next to Sveta, handing her a water skin which she eagerly attacked. "You're right...it seems odd, like the entire town was just abandoned, and nobody even thought to come back here...maybe they don't want it reopened?"

Sveta had to consider this possibility. But beyond her own obligations, her friends needed to get home, and she needed to help them. It did strike her that she was helping one of the most important people she'd ever met to leave her life. But in truth, she just wanted to help him in any way she could. She spared a glance to the side, looking over at Matthew. Working under the hard sun, it's rays glimmering off of the sweat on his brow. He looked over the edge, his face stoic and serious, and then he lifted his arms up and pulled his shirt over his head, his muscled chest coming into view as he turned towards her. He looked right at her, met her gaze, and walked straight towards her, a confident smile on his face. She felt her cheeks grow bright red, her heart pounding out of her chest, as he came nearer and nearer and...

"Sveta? Hello Sveta?" Came the call from her side, and she shook her head as the daydream left her. Matthew was back where he used to be, working on the bridge, still with his shirt on. Sveta sighed in a mixture of relief and disappointment, and Karis looked at her oddly, before following her view. Then she giggled.

"Oh wow...you've really got it bad." She said, all smiles. Sveta turned to her with a half panicked expression. "W-What do you mean?" She asked, trying to not stammer over the words. Karis patted her on the shoulder and laughed a little more.

"You've got eyes for Matthew, right? Can't say I blame you, I might too if he wasn't like my older brother." She said, and saw the red on Sveta's cheeks darken. She didn't wait for an answer.

"So, you gonna tell him?"

That was the tough question. Still, Karis was her best friend now, so she felt she could share it with her. "It...wouldn't work out. We both have our duties, and they happen to be across the world from each other...it's best we let it go now..." She said, lying so hard she actually believed it. Karis shrugged.

"I guess I'm not one for that kind of advice, but I'd tell him anyway. I mean, not to sound like a downer, but when we get back we are going into a shrine in the middle of a Psynergy fountain, probably the birth of all Psynergy. If you don't tell him, you might not get the chance to..." She let it drift off, and she squeezed her shoulder as she stood up. Sveta looked plainly terrified now.

"Y-You mean he might not-"

Karis cut across her. "Psh, you think we'd let him go down that easy? We'll all watch out for each other, it's what we do. I'm just saying, danger is kind of the family business for us. Who knows when it'll come around again."

Meanwhile, on the other end of the camp, Matthew saw something odd. Tyrell was sitting there, scratching something...into a plank? When he finished whatever he was carving, he held it out so he could look at whatever it was and smiled.

"Hey Tyrell!" Matthew called. "What are you doing there?"

Tyrell was so surprised his knife flew from his grasp and nearly into his leg. Instead it stuck the ground harmlessly. "N-nothing!" He called, quickly moving to nail this new board into place. Matthew shrugged, and looked back towards where he'd seen the girls earlier. There they were, sure enough, taking a break. Matthew smiled, it was actually kind of fun to work like this. And though he wouldn't admit it, seeing Sveta like this, just common like the rest of them, was oddly attractive to the young blond. Not that he didn't find her regality attractive as well.

He moved out on to the bridge and began hammering another plank into place, whistling as he did. Life was good, for now. He wondered how long it would stay that way?

* * *

><p>Sveta had drifted off into sleep. As soon as she'd stopped working for a little bit, her body had sent her a very clear message, and that was time to rest. The sleep was fitful, the dream enjoyable as she and Matthew danced under the moonlight in the gardens of Belinsk. His scent, his touch, the feel of his breath on her cheek, it was so intoxicating...<p>

And then the dream shattered with a shout. A cry of panic...Matthew! Sveta jumped to her feet, quickly trying to gather her bearings. That shout had come from the bridge, and she couldn't see anyone else. With a dash, she took off towards it. And when she crested the hill, her eyes went wide at what she saw. Matthew had fallen, that much was obvious, hanging by his hands on a support. But normally he'd have been able to pull himself up easily, what was causing the problem now? Was he too tired from his work? Without thinking, Sveta ran and nearly dove on to the platform he was on, extending her hands to grab at his wrists. As soon as she got close, however, she felt incredibly weak. All of her strength seemed to be leaving her, as she grabbed on to Matthew's hands, she saw it, a hole of complete and utter darkness. As she stared at it, transfixed, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her.

"Matthew! Sveta!" Came Tyrell's shout as she could hear him bounding forward. She then heard a twack and the footsteps stopped. "Agh! Karis, what the _hell_?"

Karis shouted back. "The support can't hold all three of you! You'll only make them fall, besides, _look._" She said, pointing to the pair of them. Tyrell followed her gaze and growled. "A Psynergy Vortex...no" He stomped his feet in frustration, was there nothing they could do?

"Matthew!" Sveta called, her breath coming hard now. "Hold on, please hold on!" She felt herself slipping towards the edge, but she refused to let go of his hand. Matthew looked up weakly, seeing her he smiled. She felt a tear run down her cheek...why was he smiling?

"Sveta...You're losing your grip...you're going to fall..." He panted out weakly. Sveta shook her head, tears filling her ears.

"No! Stop that! You're going to be ok, just don't give up." She said, pulling with all of her might. It was no use, this hole seemed to have sucked out all of her energy. She felt herself gliding closer to the edge.

Tyrell went to run forward, but Karis' hand on his shoulder stopped him. "There isn't anything we can do Tyrell! Don't you be an idiot and leave me the only one!" She was trying to sound strong, but it was obvious Sveta wasn't the only one crying.

Matthew looked down, the chasm didn't seem that big anymore as he stared into it. He felt himself slide lower again and knew what that meant. It was time.

"Sveta." He said, looking up to her with his bright smile. "I'm...sorry I didn't get the chance..." He said

"Stop that!" She screamed. "Don't talk like that!" She felt his hand opening, his fingers slipping out of her fists. "No Matthew! Stop it, please!"

And with a quick motion, he twisted his hands out of her grasp. Time seemed frozen for a moment, as Matthew remained stuck in the air, his eyes closed as if at peace. A thought pierced Sveta's conscience.

_At least...you are all right..._

"Matthew!" She screamed, watching him fall down into the ravine. Her scream was loud, ear piercing, and sorrowful as she dove after him, down into the ravine.

Tyrell and Karis could only look on in horror as they both fell down the cliff, vanishing out of sight, as the Psynergy Vortex faded and vanished into the peaceful air.

* * *

><p>Weeee! Cliffhangers ahoy! Plenty of questions I am sure, and plenty of answers will be supplied you. Till next time!<p> 


	4. Stroke of Luck

On a role lately, so I'm gonna keep pushing out chapters for as long as I can. It's funny, I thought about delaying it to get more reviews, as I would have done in the past, but the number of reviews isn't a measure of the quality of a story. That will speak for itself, so here is another chapter for all you fans.

-Don't Cry: Chapter 4-

* * *

><p>The first thought that crossed her mind after she jumped was a single word.<p>

_Why?_

Why had this happened? Why had she let him fall like that? She could have assumed her beast form and easily pulled him up. What was the odd hole of blackest night? A leftover of the Grave Eclipse? Why did she even come here? She'd wanted to see him so badly, and then she'd practically ignored him for the last two days! Every time they met glances, they'd either exchange an awkward conversation of a few lines, or smile and look away. She just couldn't think of what to say to him...and now it might be too late! Why hadn't she listened to Karis?

_If you don't tell him, you might not get the chance to..._

Matthew was facing down as he fell towards the earth below. She stretched out to reach him...just to touch him one last time...one last...time. And just before her hand could touch him, she felt something push her back, away from him. Was that...Psynergy? Why?

Her answer came a moment later, when she felt herself connect with the bottom of the ravine and sink into it. That had been painful...wait a minute? Pain? Sink into it? She tried to gasp and found she couldn't breathe. It only took her a second more to realize why. She was wet, she was moving sluggish, she was _under water_. With a struggled movement, she broke the surface of the river that had formed this very ravine, and tried to swim towards what must have been the river bank, coughing and wheezing. She reached land, and lay there on her hands and knees for a moment coughing, trying to bring air back into her lungs. Her gaze lifted slowly, and she saw a broken, horrifying site among the rocks.

"Matthew!" She screamed, certain that it had carried to the four corners of Weyard. She stumbled over to him as fast as she could, and kneeled beside his broken body. There was blood everywhere, his limbs a tangled mess, and...and...gods it was just to horrifying to look at! Without even thinking to her own fatigue, she pressed her hands onto his chest. A heartbeat greeted her, weak and growing weaker She closed her eyes as tears streamed from them, trying to focus.

_Nature's Boon._ She chanted the words in her head, trying to form the healing power. To her distress, she found that it would not come. "Breath! Jolt!" She called, trying to awaken her Djinn, but they would not heed her call..they were exhausted? But how, she hadn't used them at all! "Ether! Wisp!" She tried again, praying that they would respond. "Please!" She cried out. "He's dying! Help me!"

She'd, of course, left all of her belongings in her bag, back in town. And from the look of the shattered glass about Matthew, what little he had on him had been destroyed in the fall. Was there nothing she could do for him except sit here and watch him die? She howled in despair, sobbing into his chest. It wasn't right! She'd just found him! She was going to tell him, and before she could...now he was going to die? If only she hadn't gotten to him first...if Tyrell had, he could have pulled him up! If she'd been thinking she could have saved him! She lay there, watching life slowly leave him when her sharp ears heard something.

"Hey!" Came an unfamiliar male voice. "Is someone there?" The echoing around the cavern made it difficult to tell where it came from. Sveta looked around, seeing nobody.

"Yes! S-someone is hurt! I need help" She called out. She had no idea if this voice was friendly or not, but it didn't matter now. Matthew was _dying_...and his last act had been to push her away so she wouldn't share his fate. She couldn't let the most important person to her die like that, not again, not so soon.

From around a bend in the ravine, a taller man came. Well built, probably somewhere around his high twenties, brown hair. He had the garb of a traveler, and a spear on his back along with classic adventurer supplies. Sveta looked at this man, her tearful eyes pleading. "Please! Help him!" She called out. The man looked at her and then at Matthew and winced. "Oh jeez." He groaned at the site. "Hold on! I've got something for this!" He said, reaching into his side pouch as he moved over. When he removed his hand, it had a glass bottle in it, filled with perfectly clear liquid. He opened it up and placed it over Matthew's lips, tilting it back so as to let it run down the boy's throat. Sveta watched, still fighting back the tears, as the man worked. Once the bottle was nearly empty, he handed it to Sveta.

"Drink the rest." He instructed. She took it in her shivering hands and looked at him, clearly confused. "You want him to live or not? He's going to need you able to use Psynergy if he's going to survive." He said, checking Matthew's vitals once again. Sveta didn't hesitate anymore, and gulped down the last of the strange liquid. As she did, she felt a strange burning sensation go through her. She felt...revitalized. The man motioned to her.

"Come on, you're an Adept, right? Heal him, he needs more help then just the draught." He said, and Sveta nodded wordlessly, placing her hands back on Matthew's chest before attempting to use Nature's Boon again. This time it worked, and she could feel the strength of his heart returning. Slowly but steadily. A half smile split her features, as the tears still fought their way out. "He's...alive...He's going to live..."

The older man stood up and looked down at her with a smile. "Well, looks like luck was on your side today, little lady."

* * *

><p>Sveta had not taken her eyes off of Matthew until she was sure he was stable. It had been exhausting trying to heal him without the help of Rief or Amiti. Her power was usually only good for superficial injuries, but that water, whatever it was, had helped immensely. Come to think of it, she knew next to nothing about this man who sat across the way from her. He'd saved Matthew's life, so he couldn't be a thief or a spy. "Ummm..." She started, not sure how to start the conversation. "T-Thank you, for helping me save Matthew's life." She said, a slight bow to the man. He looked over to her, and then the boy, and then back to her? "Matthew?" He echoed. "Oh there was no need to thank me. I was in the right place, at the right time, with exactly what you needed. I'd say it was fate." He remarked, running a coin through his fingers.<p>

Sveta did consider something, and she did really want to know. "That water you had...I've never seen water do things like that, what was it?"

"That." He started. "Was Hermes Water. It's a special water of healing that flows from the base of Mercury Lighthouse. Lucky for you, I just so happened to have some. It's supposed to cure any normal disease, and I've heard on Adepts it's even more potent. I guess there is some truth to that rumor." He finished.

Sveta looked at him curiously. "You could tell we were Adepts...are you one yourself?"

The man shook his head. "No, I am not an adept. I've seen a lot of you guys though, so I have gotten pretty good at telling." He finished, looking up and down the ravine from his vantage point. "Look, it was nice to meet you and all, and I'm glad I could help you out, but I've got to get going. Matty should come around in a few hours." He explained, standing up straight from the wall he was leaning on.

Sveta leaned up, looking at him oddly. "But...you saved him, helped me, and used up a very valuable resource, and I don't even know your name!" She protested.

He looked back to her with a grin. "Yep, and I don't know yours either. Besides, I doubt we'll meet again, so a name would be unimportant, wouldn't it?" He looked down the river, clicking his tongue. "I follow the whims of fate, going wherever they take me. I was here when it happened, and I had just what you needed. I'd say that was a sign that I was supposed to use it here. After all, everything happens for a purpose." He flipped the coin he was rolling about his fingers and checked it. "Hmmm, Tails. So south it is!" He finished, and began moving south. "Well, that's my good deed for the day, see you around princess." He remarked, before walking down the path out of sight, leaving a rather confused Sveta. After a moment, a new question dawned in her mind.

"How did he know I was a Princess?"

* * *

><p>It was a few hours later, night had started to fall. Sveta was not sleeping though. She refused to sleep until Matthew woke up, his heart might stop in his sleep. And so she waited, checking his pulse and breathing often, and letting her hands linger slightly longer then was needed. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, he stirred. Sveta hadn't missed this, and her ears shot up in anticipation. Still she remained silent, waiting for him to fully come to.<p>

His eyes drifted open slowly, as his vision swam in front of him. Everything was blurry, and everything was pain. His entire body screamed in pain, but that was only a reminder that he was alive. He'd survived the fall, somehow. Something was in front of him...something...pale and...pink-ish? He couldn't quite tell what it was, but his vision was coming back into focus. The all too familiar face finally pierced past his haze.

Sveta...this had to be a dream. He wanted to move, but found his body was not responding to his desires and could only look upon her. He tried to speak, to will his mouth to move.

"Sveta..." He mumbled, looking upon her with such relief. She seemed fine, unlike him. "You're...ok..?" He groaned out, the words hurting too hard to even form correctly.

Sveta's face scrunched up in anger as she looked back at him. "Don't you ever do that to me again!" She nearly shouted at him. "Don't you ever give up for me! D-Do you have any idea h-how much I-I-I..." She couldn't finish the sentence, as she buried her face into his chest, sobbing. It hurt, that was still a tender area for Matthew, but he ignored it and let her cry. When Matthew was finally sure she'd stopped crying, he went to speak. But before he could, he heard an odd sound.

Breathing...slow and routine. He glanced down, and saw the young queen now asleep, her head on his chest. He managed to get enough control of his arms to place them over her, and he allowed himself to drift back into an uneasy sleep. To spite the incredible amounts of pain he was in...this wasn't that bad of a situation.

Alone, with Sveta. She was so beautiful, even with her face red from all the tears. The thought felt odd to Matthew, had he fallen for her? When had that happened? She'd jumped off of the bridge, almost facing certain death, just to have a chance at a hope of saving him. And she'd done it.

Matthew recalled her falling with him, but in all actuality, he'd passed out almost as soon as he fell from the bridge. All he could remember was seeing her jump over the edge after him, and then nothing. The exact circumstances of his survival could wait. For now he was content to simply lay with her in his arms, for however short this respite would be.

* * *

><p>The next awakening came in the morning. Matthew shifted as the sun hit his eyes. The shifting instantly caused a sharp twang of pain from his bruised ribs, but more importantly, Sveta began to stir as well from the motion. She lifted her head off of his chest, wiping the sleep from her eyes. And then she took in her surroundings as she was still waking up. Matthew looked up at her, and could see the exact moment when she realized where they were.<p>

"Oh!" She exclaimed, moving off of him. "I'm sorry, I just...hadn't slept since you fell..." She explained. Matthew waved it off though, not like it mattered.

"Matthew..." Sveta started, looking over him. He looked much better now, though still pretty seriously injured. "W-When you fell, I was so scared. I was scared one of my friends was going to die. I was going to be left all alone again. But more then that, I was scared that I wouldn't..."

And she couldn't finish that thought as a whoop of joy could be heard from above them. Both of their heads turned and looked at the cliff, to spy a very excited red head rappelling down the cliff face. "Karis!" Tyrell shouted upwards. "I found them! They're ok!" Matthew and Sveta both looked upwards with broad smiles.

It would seem they'd avoided yet another brush with certain death. Twice in one week, this was not a good routine to get into. Matthew smiled to Sveta.

"Too good to last, eh?" He managed out weakly,with a smile for her. Sveta smiled herself, and punched him in the shoulder so lightly it might not have even made contact at all.

Tyrell had reached the bottom of the cliff, and looked around at the surroundings. Of course he noticed his two friends, and was ecstatic to see that they were safe. But there was a lot of blood...way more then he would expect seeing both of them alive. Never the less, that could wait. He walked up to them and looked over Matthew with a half grin.

"Man the things you will do to get out of work." He said with a stupid grin, and Matthew laughed lightly. It hurt to laugh, but he didn't mind. "So, how is he Sveta?" Tyrell asked her, his face warm with an emotion she hadn't seen from him before.

"Um...He's pretty badly hurt. I'm not sure how we could move him, or even if we should. I think..."

And then to the shock of all gathered there, Matthew leaned up. "Actually." He spoke. "I'm not that bad. It's a little tight when I try to breath, but over all I think I'm ok..." He said, trying to stand. He failed, however, and fell back down onto his side. Tyrell laughed.

"And Karis says I'm the headstrong one. Here." He added, holding out his hand for Matthew. Matthew took it and stood, wavering slightly.

"Hmmm. My leg still feels a little weak...and I think my arms kind of banged up too." He explained. "But I should be ok to move...don't think I'll be rock climbing anytime soon though." Tyrell laughed at him.

"Oh Karis thought about that already. Let me go back up and I'll come back down for you. Sveta, would you mind helping Matthew over to the rock face" He asked.

Sveta nodded, moving over to wrap Matthew's arm around her shoulder. "I have him Tyrell, you'd better head up and get what you need. I am sure Karis is worried sick about her brother."

Tyrell looked oddly at Sveta for a moment, before grabbing on to the rope. "I'll be back in a few minutes! Just hold tight!" He shouted as he began the climb up.

Matthew looked to Sveta confused. "Uh, you know me and Karis aren't related, right?"

Sveta laughed a bit, her first real laugh today. "Oh yes, but she said yesterday that you were like her older brother."

Matthew chuckled. "Yeah, I could see that. But how did this topic come up?" He asked, curiously.

Sveta's face instantly went red. "Oh...just talking." Was her reply, and then she became very quiet.

* * *

><p>Tyrell did not descent the cliff face again. This time it was Karis who eagerly climbed down. When she saw Matthew, she ran to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Matthew winced slightly, but hugged her back.<p>

"If you _ever_ do something that bone headed, that stupid again, I'll never forgive you!" She half shouted at him. "We're all a team! That means I don't want to see any more of this 'Heroic Sacrifice' crap from you!" She then looked towards Sveta, who was feeling very much like a third wheel. Karis ran to her and gave her a likewise hug

"Sveta, you saved my best friend's life. I don't know how I could ever thank you enough." She said, pulling away and smiling broadly at her. "But we can continue this topside, we've got to get you up there." She gestured to Matthew.

It was a few awkward moments with the two girls lashing ropes about him. Under his arms, around his waist, a support for him to sit on. It was kind of excessive, but he trusted in it now. Karis gave the final rope a tug before being satisfied it was safe. "Ok then, stand back." Karis instructed, looking to the side. Matthew was strapped in and Sveta did not look like she would be leaving his side. Karis sighed with a half smile and moved a few feet away from them before gathering her Psynergy. A bolt of lightning shot through the air, vanishing into the sky beyond. Almost instantly, the ropes began to move, hoisting Matthew up the cliff. Likewise, the other rope for Sveta and Karis to climb started to move. Sveta made a grab for it, and Karis gripped the end of it.

"How?" Sveta asked. "How is Tyrell moving all of this?" Karis from underneath her answered.

"It seems we did attract some attention with our little project. Just wait until we get to the top."

* * *

><p>Sveta could not have imagined what would greet her when she peeked over the cliff face. People...her people! Beastmen lined the sides of the cliff, all of them working. Those who were not working on lifting them out of the ravine, worked tirelessly on the bridge, which had come along nicely. "How...did this happen?" Sveta asked, totally thunder struck.<p>

Tyrell was the first to answer, as he was helping Matthew out of his confinement. "After you two fell, later that day a bunch of Beastmen showed up. They said they'd lived here, and when the Eclipse happened they managed to get themselves to Kolima. Kolima's a natural fortress with the way the houses are, and it came out better then most other towns. Not many towns where you can grow all the food you need in your basement, especially thanks to Tret and Laurel." Off to the side, Sveta could see Karis being helped over the side by a young fox beastmen, who seemed to be staring at her rather intently.

Sveta stopped him for a moment. "Who?"

Tyrell looked confused. "Oh right, you weren't with us. A pair of sacred trees, they knew our parents back when they were on their adventures. Anyway, so when the Eclipse ended, they all packed up and came back here. When they found out what had happened, and what we were doing, well.." He gestured over to the mass of Beastmen working now. "They were all ecstatic to help." He said with a smile. Upon seeing her, the beastmen crowded around her.

"Your majesty! Please you shouldn't be out here working! Come, come inside!"

"What a honor to meet you Your Majesty! I'm beside myself!"

"We've prepared a place for you to stay, more befitting to someone of your status."

Sveta held out her hands. And instantly the crowd silenced. She waited but a moment before speaking to them.

"I am truly thankful to have wonderful subjects like all of you. But as queen, I cannot sit by and watch my people work. Yes, I am a leader, and a leader will lead by example. I will not lounge in a palace while my people toil with no food or homes. I will do all I can to ensure their lives are restored to normal." She said, and the cheering that erupted from the end of her speech was deafening, even with barely over two dozen people there!

She smiled, and felt a hand on her shoulder as she finished. She turned to get a full view of those brilliant blue eyes and that bright smile. To think that she thought she'd never see it again?

"That was incredible." Matthew said, looking over the crowd that had begun to resume working. "Even after everything that happened, they are completely loyal to you. And I see why." He began to move off to the side, slowly. "Um, would you give me a hand getting back to the inn?" He asked, and she nodded with a smile. It wasn't a long trip, and she was quick to get him to a small room. He needed to lay down. As she helped him towards the bed her turned around to face her. "Right here we are." He said, looking her in the eyes. "Oh, and one more thing." He added, giving her a hug of his own. A small 'Eep!' escaped her lips as he pulled her close.

"I never did thank you for saving my life Sveta." He said, his mouth right by her ear as he whispered. He pulled back, and placed a single, fleeting kiss, on her lips. Barely a touch. "Thank you." He whispered. He pulled away, looking over her completely start struck expression. She seemed lost for words as she reached up and touched her own lips.

"Y-Your welcome..." She said, almost as if she was in a dream.

* * *

><p>Another one down. I must say, I really like how this fic is developing. It's starting to take on a life of it's own. Made some quick changes to the previous chapters, nothing warranting a re-read, just some minor spelling and grammar issues. Now I figured I'd give some review responses:<p>

Forte: It probably should offend me to be called a place holder,but honestly it's a major compliment considering it was that fic that inspired me to write this one. So I guess it's totally true!

Jollygreendragon: I'm quite glad you like my portrayal of Bentley. I always figured him to be the accountant type of personality. Glad you are enjoying the fic, I'll try hard to not disappoint!


	5. Bridge to Disaster

If you like this story, I'd suggest putting it on your alerts. I'm updating a lot more often then I thought I would. So fast, in fact, that I rarely get any reviews on the previous chapter before I begin writing the next one. Nevertheless, it is time to continue.

-Don't Cry: Chapter 5-

Sveta merely stood there blinking after the sudden act of passion from Matthew. He stared at her with loving eyes. "Oh how I have wanted to do that, how I have adored you." He said, moving in again and placing another, slower and more passionate, kiss on her lips. She allowed herself to sink into the sensation, as it washed over her. When he pulled away again, she heard his whispered voice. "I love you Sveta...won't you stay with me?"

Sveta felt herself falling into his arms. "Oh Matthew..." She whispered to him. Since when had he been so poetic, so passionate? And then she realized something, there was not a mark on him...no dirt or the stains of blood on his face or clothes as their should be...Sveta sighed in disappointment.

"This...isn't real..." She heard herself say, and dream Matthew closed the distance with her again, causing her breath to catch in her throat.

"Of course this isn't real." He said plainly. "But does that mean you can't enjoy it?"

This was a very good dream.

* * *

><p>Sveta woke up the next morning, stretching out from her bed. She looked around the room, and saw Matthew sleeping on the other side of it. There were the remains of bandages and a basin of water by his bed, someone had clearly dressed his wounds. What had happened yesterday? She was in an oddly good mood as she rose from her bed and placed her bare feet on the wood floor. She remembered, bringing Matthew back here...and then they put him down to rest for a bit...and she was just going to lay down for a little nap, since her rest in the ravine had been less then relaxing. Humming happily to herself she walked about the room, and opened the old curtains on the window. The sun was shining on a new day in Border Town, and it looked as if the reconstruction was coming nicely. Her humming and the added light from the window caused Matthew to stir. He roused himself from his sleep, and his still addled mind tried to take in what he was seeing. He was in a room, there was someone...a woman, standing by the window, she was humming a song. It felt like something he'd heard before, but he let that thought go. Something about this seemed all too familiar.<p>

"M-Mom?" Matthew called out weakly. As soon as the sound hit his ears, he became aware of his surroundings. He was not in Kalay, this woman was not his mother, and this song...it was.

"Arangoa...Prelude?" He said next, as the girl turned around. Even without seeing her, he knew. There was only one person in the whole world who would know the piece that well.

"Ah!" She spoke, moving over to him. "Good morning Matthew, I hope I didn't disturb you?" She asked, moving to his bedside. Matthew shook his head.

"No, not at all. It was just a little surprising to hear, that's all." He tried to lean up, bracing himself for the pain. But to his surprise, the pain did not come. He glanced down at his bandages, and marveled at how good he actually felt. Sveta laughed a little.

"I think that might be due to my kinsmen. You see, Kolima is well known for being very talented with herbal remedies. I imagine they practiced some of this upon you. Thankfully it looks as though it worked." She looked over his bandages, which had only the smallest stains of red on them. "I'm glad. It looks like you'll be back on your feet in no time."

Matthew paused for a second, then he went to stand. Sveta moved to support him, and he took her hand as he pulled himself to his feet. His leg still shook a little bit, but he could walk. "Wow...those herbs really do work...I feel a lot better then I did...when was it, two days ago? Time seemed to muddle together."

Sveta nodded. Two days since he'd fallen, since she'd dove after him, since she'd thought she'd never see him again. She was about to speak again, when a sharp knock came on the door. Without waiting for a response, the door creaked open, and Karis poked her head in. She smiled with relief. "Oh good, your awake." She said moving in to the room. Matthew, with Sveta's help, sat down on the edge of his bed and smiled to his old friend.

"Hey Karis, how are things?"

Karis nearly flipped. "How are things? How _are _things? You fall off of a cliff and spend the better part of two days in a coma and you...ooooh!" She seemed frustrated, but it gave way into an exasperated smile. "I swear Matthew, you've been talking to Tyrell too much." She sat down next to him. "You need to be more careful. After all we've been through, I thought we almost lost you all thanks to a stupid bridge." Matthew's expression got darker as he shook his head.

"It wasn't the bridge Karis. Normally an accident like that wouldn't have been a problem and you know it." He said, his face looking serious for once. Karis got the same look, and Sveta looked incredibly puzzled.

"The Psynergy Vortex, I was thinking about it. Why did it just appear there, and then vanish once you fell? It seems almost too convenient."

Matthew looked at her oddly. "It vanished after I fell? Like, right after?" Karis nodded. "That's...odd. I've never seen something like that happen before..."

"Yeah, me either." Karis said worriedly. Sveta spoke up at this point.

"Excuse me, not to interrupt, but what is a 'Psynergy Vortex'? Are you referring to the large black...hole that was in the air?"

Matthew nodded. "Yeah, those are Psynergy Vortex's. They are a phenomenon that occurred after the Golden Sun. They sap an adepts power and drain Psynergy from the world around them. That was why you felt so weak when you grabbed me."

Sveta gasped. "And that was why I couldn't use Psynergy when we fell into the ravine, and why my Djinn were all exhausted!" Matthew nodded, it sounded about right.

Karis, however, raised an eyebrow. "Sveta, you said you couldn't use Psynergy once you fell into the ravine?" Sveta nodded. "And your Djinn were all exhausted?" Once again she nodded, looking at Karis worriedly. "This might be a little rude to ask, and I'm sorry, but how is Matthew alive?"

The question fell like an ax, and Sveta realized how Karis was making the connection. The injury Matthew had sustained should probably have killed him, but it didn't. If Sveta couldn't use Psynergy, then from what Karis knew it didn't make any sense.

"Well..." Sveta said, pausing for a second. "When we fell, I landed in the river, thank Matthew for pushing me away as we fell." She said, sending a smile to Matthew, who looked utterly bewildered. "When I got to him on the river bank, he was...barely alive. So I tried to heal him, but I couldn't. My Djinn wouldn't respond either. I called out, and someone answered me."

Karis arched an eyebrow at this, and Matthew looked interested as well.

"He was a human." Sveta continued. "He had an odd bottle of liquid and he made Matthew drink most of it, and myself a little bit. He called it...umm...Hermes Water? Anyway, this water brought me back some Psynergy, and I used it to heal him the best I could. I don't think I could have if it wasn't for that water..."

Karis looked over Sveta curiously. "What happened to this guy? There was nobody else down there when we came down."

Sveta looked to Karis. "He...just left. He said it was fate that he was here at the right time, and left without even giving me his name."

The three of them were silent for a moment, before Matthew asked a question. "So...what was so special about this water?" Karis sighed.

"Come on Matthew, I know your dad had to have told you about it. Water of Hermes is from the base of Mercury Lighthouse, it's supposed to be a healing water that can even save someone from the brink of death."

"From the brink of death..." Matthew echoed.

Silence overtook the room again. The tension was so thick you could probably cut it with a knife. Just at that moment, the silence was shattered as the door flew open.

"Hey guys!" Tyrell shouted in excitement. "Guess what? With all the help we got, we'll probably have the bridge fixed by tomorrow!" He was beaming from ear to ear, and it even changed Karis' expression to a smile.

"That soon? Wow those guys can work!" She exclaimed. "I need to go see this, I've never seen a bridge constructed by craftsmen before." She said, running out of the room. Tyrell followed her, closing the door as he left. Before it slammed he turned around to look at Matthew.

"Good to see ya buddy." He said, giving him a thumbs up, which Matthew returned.

Now it was just him and Sveta, and he smiled as he looked at her. She did not look happy, but she noticed his look and smiled back at him. Matthew's smiled faded, as he placed a hand on her lap.

"Sveta, what's wrong?"

She shook her head. "No, nothing is wrong. I am just glad you are all right."

"Sveta..." Matthew said, looking strongly at her. She sighed.

"Can you read my mind now too?" She asked, the smile falling from her face again.

"I don't need Psynergy to do that." he said, turning her cheek so she faced him. "What's wrong?"

She shivered at the touch, and took his hand in hers. "Matthew...these few days here. They have been some of the most precious in my life. I'll never forget them. And, while scary, I'm not sure I want them to end..."

Matthew remained silent, letting her talk. It seemed like she'd been thinking about this heavily. "When the bridge is finished, you'll carry on with your quest and you'll go home. I'll have to go home as well..." The sentence lingered briefly. "I enjoyed our time together...but I...I don't want to never see you again." Matthew held his breath, looking at her as she confessed this to him.

"Matthew I..." She started...she'd nearly missed the chance to say it...she had to say it now. Had to tell him how much he meant to her. Had to just spit it out! She felt a tear break from her face as her other hand gripped down on the bed sheet.

"I'm sorry!" She sobbed, getting up and running for the door. She made it maybe a foot and a half before a hand grabbed her wrist. In an instant she felt herself pulled back to him, and he caught her so she was right up against him. He spoke only two words, two simple words.

"I know." And then he pressed his lips against hers. So softly, so tenderly, exactly as she'd imagined it. Except this wasn't a dream, this was as real as things got. Her body relaxed against him for a moment, until she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself against him. They remained like this for what seemed like forever until they finally parted. "M-Matthew..." She mumbled, still breathless from her first real kiss.

He spoke next. "It doesn't matter how long or how far I am, I could never forget you." He said, smiling to her. She felt a smile form on her own lips as she ran her hand along his cheek.

"Matthew." She said again, simply smiling as she pressed herself deeply into his embrace. "I'm...so happy to hear that. I will miss you terribly..."

"And I'll miss you. But it's not really good bye. We'll see each other again." Matthew said, convinced of this.

"After today." Sveta spoke. "It will all be over. I have to go to Bilibin to discuss things for my people. And you have to go home to complete the quest that you started...and to your duty. How long will it be?" She asked.

Matthew looked depressed for a moment. "I don't know. But I'll come back, I promise I will." He said, his face practically buried into her hair as she held herself to his chest.

* * *

><p>They had done nothing that day. It may very well have been their last day together, and they spent it as such. She walked about the town with him, lounging in the grassy fields outside of town, laughing at old stories. Of course there had been more then a little intimate contact, and Sveta had to admire how good of a kisser Matthew was. She blushed as she thought this, and looked to the sky. Was the sun really setting already? Sveta was gripping on to Matthew's arm as she laughed, a warm, heart melting, laugh. Matthew smiled to her as they walked through the fields. As they came up to the town though, Sveta released Matthew's arm and Matthew stopped stealing his amorous glances of her. It seemed the two of them wee still rather embarrassed by displaying this affection. Sveta looked to Matthew and spoke first.<p>

"We should go look at the bridge progress...as much as I'd like to stay here forever..." She added. Matthew nodded.

"Yeah, I haven't seen Karis or Tyrell in a while either. I wonder what they are up to over there?"

Sveta shrugged, and the two of them walked towards the bridge. What they saw when they got there made their jaws drop. Sure enough, they'd found Tyrell and Karis..._on the other side._

Matthew couldn't believe his eyes. "It's already done? But...wow that was fast."

Sveta was similarly shocked. "I had no idea my people were so skilled..." She said, awestruck. Sure it was just a wooden bridge, but it was enough for people to cross over with no worries of weight or danger of breaking. Sure it would need to be remade as a stone bridge for trade, but for now it would be more then sufficient.

Matthew looked to Sveta. "Well then, shall we?" He said, gesturing to the bridge. She nodded with a smile. "Yes, of course. It's what we came here for anyway." And she stepped on to the bridge, a little cautious as she walked over it. Matthew followed suite, but he made one crucial mistake. As he walked along the bridge, he looked down. Down into that ravine that had nearly claimed his life. Down into that endless void. He felt his leg starting to give and gripped the rope supports fiercely, alerting Sveta to his discomfort.

"Matthew!' She called in worry. "Easy now,easy." She said, placing her hand on his back. "Just keep walking and we'll get across. Come on." She said, guiding him across the bridge. He was usually so strong, so courageous, it was a little weird to see him panicked like this. But she had to admit, if she'd nearly died here, she might be even worse then he was. When they did reach the other side, Matthew went down to a knee, breathing heavily. Tyrell and Karis had seen the entire event, and ran over.

"Whoa man, I thought we were gonna have to go down after you again. You ok?"

Karis shot Tyrell a glare. "Of course he isn't all right, he nearly died down that cliff! Honestly Tyrell!"

Tyrell just muttered, moving off to the side. Sveta moved to look at Matthew, her ears dropping slightly. "Do you want to rest Matthew?" She asked, looking about this side of the town. If the Morgal side had looked relatively unharmed, this side was downright pristine. Didn't the Eclipse hit these people at all? Her eyes glanced about the village. Many of her people had already crossed over, exploring the other side of the city. All of a sudden, though, her ears perked up. Something was coming, something was moving. The sound of...boots? Many of them...moving...and carrying a heavy load...

Sveta backed up as she realized what it had to be. Matthew took his turn to be worried. "Sveta, what's wrong?"

"The Bilibin army is coming...they are here." She said, glancing about. The houses here, they weren't empty! "Look o-! She started to shout, but before she could finish a door down the street burst open as a bugle sounded. Soldier's poured out of the houses, surrounding both humans and beastmen on this side of the chasm and setting up a guard on the bridge to deter further people from crossing. Matthew didn't give it a second thought before he drew his sword, but Sveta placed her hand on his arm.

"Matthew, no. They have prisoners...civilians." She said, gesturing around them. Sure enough, more then a few of the local beastmen were all ready being round up, with swords pressed to their backs as they were watched by archers with crossbows. A decorated soldier, clearly a general stepped forward, and upon seeing Sveta, moved towards her. Matthew moved in between them, but Sveta bypassed him and stood looking up at the general. The general looked down at her and spoke.

"The conditions of our peace treaty were that no beastmen would set foot upon Bilibin's land! Violation of this treaty is an act of war, even if by the Princess of the realm!"

Sveta stared back at the man, not allowing herself to be intimidated. "I, as Queen Sveta Czamaral, was not aware of any existing treaty between our nations. Nevertheless, if you wish your own peace, I will happily take my people and leave. I had come only to discuss a more lasting peace."

If the general was surprised by her announcing that King Volechek was dead, he didn't show it. Instead the general reached behind him and pulled out a set of shackles. "I cannot simply let you leave for violating the laws, you must resolve this with Lord McCoy. I will need to ask you to come with me." He said.

Matthew growled, moving to step in front of Sveta, but she held out her hand, placating him once again.

"And if I refuse to go before your Lord in chains?"

The general pointed over to the side, where roughly half a dozen beastmen were chained and bound, with swords to them. "It's your call, 'your majesty.'" He added, and beneath the visor Matthew could tell he was grinning...what a sick bastard!

Silence filled the air for a moment as the entire gathering awaited her decision. "We will compromise." She stated flatly. "I will go to see Lord McCoy, but I will walk under my own power and not in chains."

The general looked down at her with what was obviously an annoyed glare. "And what makes you think you even have a choice in the matter?"

Sveta looked up at him sweetly, and flashed her teeth for him. "Because if harm comes to any of my people, I will personally see to it that they don't find enough of you and your soldiers to bury." She said, running a claw through her fangs as if picking out a piece of meat. "Do we have an agreement?"

The pause was long, but the general placed the shackles back in his pack. "Fine, but the prisoners are coming with us. One sign of resistance..." he said, leaving the threat hanging.

"You need not remind me." Sveta said, moving to walk forward. "Unlike others you might meet, I honor my deals."

A pair of guards moved along side Matthew. Looking off to the side Matthew saw Tyrell and Karis...they were hidden from view. The soldier's hadn't seen them, apparently. Saying nothing, Matthew allowed himself to be chained. It would cause too much of a disturbance otherwise.

The entourage of soldiers and prisoners left the Border Town, leaving a pair of guards behind to watch over the bridge. They were so busy being jeered at an insulted by the beastmen on the other side, that they failed to notice even clumsy Tyrell sneaking up behind them.

With a loud crash the two soldiers fell over, Tyrell dusting his hands off after butting their heads together. Karis moved from her hiding spot, stepping over the two unconscious soldiers.

"Well...that could have gone better."

Tyrell just cracked his knuckles. "Speak for yourself! All this boredom was killing me!"

Karis looked at him darkly. "And all this excitement might soon be killing Sveta and Matthew, _again_, if we don't hurry! Now come on!" She said, moving to follow the retreating army.

"So bossy..." Tyrell muttered, following her.

* * *

><p>Don't have a lot to say here, just continuing on with the story. It's not going to be a super long story, maybe about ten chapters or so. And at the rate I am going, I'll be done by next week. Don't expect a super in depth fifty chapter masterpiece here, it's just a short interlude.<p> 


	6. Change of Fortune

No A/N this time.

-Don't Cry: Chapter 6-

The trek continued on for hours that day. Of course the soldiers were able to handle it fine, Sveta and Matthew were no strangers to long walks either, but the rest of the beastmen seemed to not be holding up as well. Even now, it was obvious the pace had slowed to a crawl, they would have to stop soon or risk their prisoners collapsing, but the general gave no order as they continued the march. Earlier in the trip, he'd attempted to make Sveta walk at the front, but she fell in line with her subjects and walked among them, offering words of comfort and reassurance where she could. She was putting on a strong face, but she'd never felt so helpless. Her people were enslaved because of her own foolishness. Bilibin was a country they were on tense terms with, of course entering without permission would be seen as an act of invasion. If she'd thought of her country and her people first, she could have seen this coming, opened the border more cautiously, established diplomatic relations...instead it all looked to be going up in smoke before it had even began.

Matthew sensed her thoughts and moved next to her. "It's not your fault." He said to her, but she refused to look him in the eye. "You couldn't have known what would happen. And you are trying so hard to make their pain bearable. We both have to be strong, for all of them."

Sveta knew he was right, and she was about to turn to thank him when a wailing sound pierced her ears. Her head snapped to the side and she saw one of the prisoners, a child, sitting on the ground and bawling.

"Nooo!" The child screamed. "I...*hic*...I dun wannnnna!" The child cried, and it was clear the soldier who has holding the length of chain attached to his oversized manacles was growing tired of the child's complaints. He went to yank on the chain, but didn't get the chance.

With a crack, Sveta's fist had connected with the man's jaw, sending him sprawling. In an instant, the group was a flurry of activity, guards drew out swords and crossbows, as Matthew, knocked his own guard over with a quick body blow, before positioning himself in between them and Sveta. The air was thick with tension, any minute now the bloodshed would start as the civilians cowered back, waiting. Finally, a sound from behind Matthew broke the silence.

"Hush now...It's all right. Are you tired? Here." It was Sveta, talking to the child. Matthew spied a look behind him, and nearly did a double take. Now she was standing full upright, with the child on her back as he tried to stop crying. She looked to the general, who glared back at her.

"I would recommend we make camp soon general, these people are civilians, not trained soldiers. Unless you want more people to start collapsing from exhaustion? I don't imagine your men would be keen on dragging us all back to Bilibin."

Silence filled the air once more, and she sorely wished he wasn't wearing such a large helmet, so she could see his eyes. The soldier she'd decked got up, rubbing his jaw, but retreated from her timidly.

"We'll break when I say so, now move, all of you!" He roared. And as he made the announcement, some part of Sveta was sure she'd heard that voice before.

* * *

><p>To spite his actions, they had stopped a short bit later down the road. If Sveta didn't have the hearts of these people before, she did now. Being willing to take the child on to her back, as royalty, had impressed her people. And any among those gathered who may have had their doubts of her suitability as a ruler no longer held that view. As the soldier's made camp, they chained the prisoners into a large circle, with a pair of guards keeping watch over them. Sveta sat in the middle of them all, speaking in a hushed tone.<p>

"And then, just when he thought we'd reached the end of the cave a mighty roar came from the back!" She cried out, the pair of children there shrieked in delight. Even the adults gathered seemed to enjoy her tales, and Matthew noted, with some humor, that a few of the Bilibin guards were trying to discretely listen. She described, in a true story tellers fashion, their battle against the Ogre hordes they'd found in the deepest part of the Burning Island Cave. "No matter how many of these massive beasts the heroes struck down, a larger one seemed to take it's place! Some larger then even the mighty walls of Belinsk!" Ok, that might have been a slight fabrication, but it still made for a great story. "Finally, with a great shout, the brave hero lifted his blade, burning with the fire of his courage, and struck down on the Ogre's with the force of a boulder!" She exclaimed, making a small bolt of lightning bounce off of a nearby rock, which sparked. "And with a deafening roar, the beasts finally stopped, our weary heroes had won, and earned the right to the treasures they guarded." She said, moving to get up with a smile. The children looked up at her disappointed. "That's all for tonight, but I'll tell you another part of the story tomorrow if you are good." She spoke, of course, to the two children, who nodded furiously. The boy, looked down as he shuffled his feet awkwardly, before reaching up and handing Sveta a single flower. Sveta took it from him with a warm smile.

"Is that for me? Why thank you! I've never gotten such a beautiful flower as a gift before!" She said, and the little boy's cheeks flushed profusely as he was ushered away to go sleep for the day ahead. The crowd began to break up into sleep, and things seemed to quiet down. Matthew just moved next to Sveta.

"That was incredibly sweet of you. You're really making it easier on them...all of them." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Sveta sighed softly.

"Oh Matthew. It's the least I can do...it's all I can do." She said, resting her head on his shoulder. Matthew placed his hand on top of her head.

"It's ok Sveta, it'll all work out somehow. If you just take a closer look, you'd see."

Sveta looked up at him oddly, but his expression told her all she needed to know. He knew something, but he couldn't tell her in front of all the guards. There was only one way to find out.

_Spirit Sense_. She concentrated, trying to sort her way through Matthew's thoughts. It wasn't hard, what he wanted her to find was easy, it was on the surface.

"_Tyrell and Karis saw us leave, they've been following us and I've been leaving signs for them. Be ready to break for it when we get a good distraction."_

Oh ho? So that was what he knew. Sveta was slightly confused as to how Matthew would know they were following from in front, but he knew his friends, and they might have had some other way of communicating like this.

However, the thoughts were not all business, and Sveta's mind began to fill with other, deeper thoughts.

_Gods she's so beautiful...why did it have to be like this?_

_Every time I'm around, she's upset._

_I need to do something...for her._

Sveta broke the mind link, and Matthew looked at her with a smile, unaware of how much she'd just heard. She gave him a sad smile and leaned up, kissing him on the cheek. "You already did."

He looked even more confused then the soldiers who'd just witness the Queen flirt with someone who appeared naught but a commoner.

* * *

><p>Three days. Three long and tiring days until, at last, the capital city of Bilibin came into view. If one only knew it from it's humble beginnings, they would be amazed at the change time had wrought in the city. What had once been a small wooden perimeter fence had been turned into a massive stone fortress surrounding the town itself. What had been open gates into the protection of the town were now watch towers filled with archers and soldiers at every entrance. The city seemed more like a fort then a place where people would actually live. When they came to the outside, the guards stopped.<p>

"We have a priority prisoner!" He called to the gate guards. "Bring a royal guardsman to 'escort' her to the castle." The sound of activity, until a similarly dressed general emerged from one of the watch towers. The only difference being that he wore no helmet, his dark hair falling over the right side of his face to partially obscure a scar. He looked older, maybe forty to fifty. He looked to Sveta, and then to the first general. "The Princess of Morgal?" He asked, confused. "How on Weyard did we find her?"

The first general responded. "The _Queen_ of Morgal." He corrected, and the older General's eyes glistened. "And she and a group of her people repaired the bridge at Border Town and invaded on foot. I cannot assume for what purpose."

Sveta wanted to shout at them, but decided it better to compose herself and discuss it in front of the Lord and Lady. The older general turned to her, and spoke plainly and gruffly. "Come with me." He instructed, obviously surprised by her lack of restraints. As they left, he took one look around the prisoners and spied Matthew. He stopped for a moment, looking hard at him. The first general obvious sensed this, for he looked to his superior and spoke.

"Is there a problem, sir?"

The older general shook his head. "No, no problem." He said, but he stared at Matthew for a moment more before turning and guiding Sveta towards the gates. "The Lord and Lady await."

Sveta nodded. "Of course, I look forward into putting an end to this all peacefully." The general said nothing, merely passing orders to the gate guards. As the portcullis on the gate ground open, Sveta was pushed forward. Matthew reached for her, but she looked back at him with a smile. The meaning of which was clearly understood. She could handle herself. She spared him one more glance as the gate came down again, and then proceed up the street. As she moved away, the first masked general spoke once more.

"See you around, Princess." Matthew thought it was an odd thing to say, and Sveta turned slightly to half stare at him. If only she were closer...if only.

Matthew looked upon her figure as she faded into the crowd, and felt a knot in his stomach. Something told him...that this might be the last time he'd see her. She said she'd be fine, but something was bothering him. Something formless and without substance, but present none the less. It was only with a cry of alarm that Matthew was jerked back to reality. "Monsters!" Came the call. "Monsters at the south gate!"

Matthew looked about, anxious to see what was happening. All he could see was soldiers on both sides of the gate running off to the side. Even some of their own detachment seemed to be moving away to deal with the threat. And it was at this point that Matthew noticed the odd fog that had seemed to roll over them. Matthew looked through the mist and saw a familiar form swim by him.

"Hello Haze..." He whispered. The Jupiter Djinn raised it's tail to it's mouth, as if telling him to shush. He looked about...three guards were left watching them, and the towers on this side were empty. Better still, they'd switched them into the circle-chain method they used when they'd stop for an evening. It made it impossible for one person to go off alone, but it also meant that if one section of chain was cut, they would all be free. Matthew looked for signs of...well anything, but aside from the fog, couldn't see anything. He heard an explosion from the south, and knew what that meant. It would appear that 'monsters' might not be the best term for the chaos back there.

And then, without even a speck of warning, lightning rained down on the group. Matthew shielded his eyes as the three guards stood, transfixed, as the bolts struck true. They fell with resounding thuds, and Matthew quickly went to draw out his sword. He recalled earlier, when they hadn't taken it because it looked so gaudy it had to be fake, their mistake. With a quick slash, the chain was cut, and he pulled the length from everyone's shackles. By the time he'd performed this, Karis was already on the scene.

"Come on! There is a cave a little ways from here! It's empty, and a pretty good hiding spot! Come on, while their busy with Tyrell's distraction." She expressed, starting to guide the beastmen along the path. Matthew spared one last look at the massive city gates.

_I'll come for you, I promise._

* * *

><p>Life on the other side of the walls was about as panicked, but less dangerous. Sveta walked down the street with her full sense of regality, and even without the guards, people moved to the side to allow her to pass. When she'd reached the doors of what had to be the palace, she paused, as the guards at the doors crossed their spears to bar her entry. She turned to look back at the general behind her, who was now holding some very odd vase one of his subordinates had handed him.<p>

"Well? I thought they wanted to see me?"

The general nodded. "They did. But you must be a fool to think I'd let you go in front of the Lord and Lady armed."

Sveta shrugged, she'd figured this would come up. "So I suppose now you will insist on binding me?" She asked him, fully prepared for the answer. To her surprised, the general shook his head.

"No, that will not be needed." He said, holding up the odd vase like contraption so the opening of it pointed at her. It was weird, blue and purple and black with veins running all across it. Not to mention that the opening had a little door in front of it, like it was sealed. She arched her eyebrow at this odd item, and then the general turned a small crank on the side with a smile.

The chamber door opened, and all she saw was darkness. Instantly she felt her strength leaving her...just like...on the bridge! But this time, a noise accompanied the feeling of weakness.

_M-Mistresss!_

_Heeeeelp!_

_It's Scarrryyy!_

Sveta gasped as the orbs of purple light flew from her person, being swallowed into the void. "Ether! Kite! Breath!" Her own power was sucked away, until she collapsed on the ground. With a click, she felt the draining stop, but couldn't even move to her feet.

"Now, you have been properly disarmed." The general spoke with a sneer. "Now come, it is time to meet the Lord and Lady as your kind should, on your knees." And he practically dragged the beastman Queen through the halls of the McCoy manor.

* * *

><p>Matthew stood inside the small cave they'd taken the refugees to. The two children, especially, were quite upset, with their 'Big Sister Sveta' being taken away. Matthew was nowhere near as talented with children as Sveta had been, but he did his best to cheer them up.<p>

"Hey, come on. She'll be all right, she's strong." He assured them.

"B-But!" The boy moaned. "There was a lot of them! And they are scary!"

Karis came over, ruffling the young beastmens hair. "And if she's in trouble, we'll help her. We're her friends, and she's one of ours. Don't you worry about it, she'll be back, just you wait!" The child didn't look like he entirely believed her, but nodded none the less, before retreating further into the cave. Karis, on the other hand, shot Matthew a look and then jerked her head towards the cave entrance. Matthew obliged her, having a feeling he knew what this was about. As they stood at the entrance to the cave, with the sun slowly setting outside, Matthew asked the question to break the silence.

"No sign of him?"

Karis was quiet for a second, before answering. "I'm going out there." She announced, placing her hand on the handle of her Sylph's Rapier. Matthew placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Not alone you aren't. No more being a hero, remember?"

Karis turned to him, with a fire in his eyes that reminded him of his own mother. Where did she learn how to do that? Oh wait, obvious answer. "Someone should have told that idiot that!" She snapped, and she pulled herself from Matthew's hand. Before she could exit the cave though, another voice joined the pair of them.

"I would ask you to wait before you attempt something so rash." It spoke. Matthew and Karis both leapt, not seeing where the voice had come from. A figure came around to stand in front of the cave mouth, and once Matthew realized who it was, he drew his Sol Blade with a growl.

It was the masked general. And to Matthew's surprise, he raised his hands. "Hold on. I'm not here to fight...or turn you over to Bilibin. I'm actually here to help you."

Matthew snarled at him. "Help us? Because of you two of my friends are captured, maybe _dead_, and you say you're here to **HELP** me?" The man stood there, the helmet really made it hard to read him. Karis looked about ready to fry him where he stood.

"Look." The man replied. "You don't have to believe me, but you should know that you don't stand a chance of just running in their to save them. Lord McCoy, who is usually kind heated, isn't here. He's discussing politics with another nation. That means his psychotic wife is running things, and if you act rashly, then we'll all be dead. Then whose gonna save Sveta and Tyrell, eh Matty?"

Matthew was taken aback, this man knew who he was. How? He didn't recognize the voice. "How do you know me?" Matthew snarled.

"That's not really important quite yet." He spoke. "But I can tell you that if you need a reason to trust me, maybe the fact that I saved your life earlier this week would be enough." He said, removing his helmet. A head of brown, shaggy hair came free, revealing a man around Eoleo's age. "Though I gotta say, you look a lot better now then you did at the bottom of the ravine. Guess that's all thanks to Sveta though, isn't it?"

It clicked for Karis first, as she pointed a finger questioningly at the man. "You're the man Sveta met? Why should we believe you? He didn't even tell her his name."

The man looked at her sternly. "A name would have only gotten in the way, besides, I had no reason to believe that I'd need to encounter you again, at least not until I headed to Bilibin."

Matthew's eyebrows arched. "What aren't you telling us? You just 'happen' to show up with some healing water, and just _happen_ by with some information when Sveta and Tyrell are in trouble. This isn't just luck..."

The man grinned, flipping a coin around his fingers. "Luck is responsible for more then you'd think. But in this case, you're right." He flipped it up, and caught it between his index and middle fingers. "In truth, I owed you one. And I always pay my debts." Matthew seemed confused, but the man continued on.

"Now, before you get too distracted, let me give you some pieces of information. This is going to be a long night, and a longer day so listen up. If you choose not to take the advice, that's not my call, but at least hear me out."

Matthew stayed still for a moment, before sheathing his sword and removing his hand from the hilt, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Good good, ok now where to start?"

* * *

><p>It was with an unceremonious toss that Sveta, Queen of the Morgal empire, was thrown into the audience chamber. She landed hard, holding out her hands in vain to try and stop her fall. It was useless, she was far too weak after being hit with that weapon.<p>

"Hmph, you Beastmen are not as terrifying as you'd like us to believe. Why just look at you down there on the floor. It's a good look for you though." Came the superior tone from above her. Sveta's claws gripped at the rug as she looked up at who spoke. A middle aged unremarkable human noble, hiding behind more then her weight in Silk, Makeup and Gold.

"Still, I suppose if this is the best the country could field for a ruler, I should just take it and be done with it." She said, her eyes gleaming with avarice. "A foolish animal standing as a human, disgusting. At least your brother wasn't afraid to show his fangs. He had a spine, not that it did him much good."

Something snapped inside of Sveta, her eyes dilated as she gave out a bestial snarl. She didn't know where she pulled the power from, but she had enough to rise and leap towards the royal. Lady McCoy's eyes showed fear for but a moment, before a sharp strike to Sveta's back returned her to the ground. She felt the energy, and her consciousness, leaving her.

"_What barbaric behavior! To the dungeons with her, under 24 hour surveillance with at least three guards at all times! She'll be hung at first light!" _Sveta felt herself drifting away, and could only think that this would be how her life ended...she couldn't do anything after all.

* * *

><p>"Well, that's the long and short of it anyway. Lady McCoy had intentions to kill the Morgal monarch, regardless of whom it was, for a while now. She wants Morgal, and they intend to use that power to force Kalay under their thumb as well. From there, I can only imagine her sights would turn south. Who knows if all of Angara will be enough to satisfy her lust for power, perhaps she will take to the seas as well." The wanderer spoke.<p>

Matthew hadn't said a word to him, just listening. "So...let me see if I understand. Tyrell is being held _outside_ because they don't want to put two prisoners like them close to each other. Sveta is being held deep in the dungeons, awaiting execution tomorrow. The answer is simple, we'll attack tonight under cover of darkness, rescue Tyrell, and then break into the dungeons for Sveta."

The older man held up his hand. "And you think they'll just wait for your to rescue Queen Sveta while you cause that much hell? They'll execute her the second they see suspicion if she is in the dungeon. No, there is only one way you are gonna be able to do this. You'll have to attack _during_ the execution."

Matthew just glared at him. "You are insane. Everybody would be watching, we'd have no way to sneak up."

The older man smiled now. "Exactly, everyone will be there. Meaning there will be a lot more angles to come from as she is being paraded around the streets before they bring her to the square. It's the best way to strike, and has the least chance of an ambush. Also, try to be careful, I happen to know that they have a unique weapon there that can sap out an Adept's Psynergy and Djinn. I imagine they've already used it on her."

Karis jumped up. "An Anti-Psynergy weapon? Where on Weyard did they get that from?" She exclaimed.

"From me." He answered simply. Hands went to weapons again, and he just sighed. "I didn't _mean_ to. They won it from me."

Matthew paused. "They...won it from you?"

"Yeah, won it. Like in a game of cards, ya know?"

The stunned silence was enough to be deafening. "...You lost a weapon...capable of completely disabling an Adept...in a _**CARD GAME?**_" Matthew shouted. The noise had caused more then a few beastmen to come over and investigate. When they saw the general they all went on edge, some even went to grab weapons. Karis shook her head to them, and most of them stood down, though they remained armed with whatever they could have scavenged from the fight outside the town earlier.

The older man looked about, slightly panicked. "Keep it _down!_ If they find any of us then we are all dead! And I am sorry Mr. Hero, but some of us have vices, ok? Yeah, I screwed up, you're in a bad spot because of it, but I'm _trying_ to make things right here!"

Matthew glared daggers at this man, he'd had enough. "Just who are you anyway?"

"You want a name still? Fine, fine. You can call me Dinar, of the Four Generals of the Tuaparang. Nice to meet you all."

The sounds of blades being drawn filled the cave.

* * *

><p>Mwahahahaha! You have no idea how long I've been waiting to introduce this guy like this. Also I like the idea of a character gambling away a God Weapon just because he has a bad habit. :D Stay tuned for more! Also, as an amusing note. I initially wrote Sveta telling the story of fighting the Mountain Roc, before realizing that she wasn't there for it. Finding a boss fight she was there for that worked for this was actually more difficult then I imagined.<p> 


	7. Revelation

Another day, another chapter. Interesting fact, this chapter was literally spawned from the recesses of my mind the other day. It was not at all what I had planned for this chapter, but I took to it instantly. So enjoy! Also, the weak of heart, please take caution with the first scene, it is not pleasant.

-Don't Cry: Chapter 7-

Sveta did not dream. She'd drifted into unconsciousness, and the darkness overtook her. The next things she felt was that she was drowning. She woke up coughing and gasping for air, feeling the water fall off of her face as she tried to wipe it away. She couldn't move her arms, she found. Her head hurt, and she'd much rather have just passed out again, but she willed open her eyes. Darkness still.

She saw, among the darkness, spots of flickering light. Behind them, the obvious sight of stonework and metal. Her eyes glanced about, and then focused in front of her, where a fat man holding an empty bucket of water stood.

"Ah! Her majesty awakens! Now the real fun can begin!" He said with a chuckle. Further study of this man showed him to be rather short, with a slightly balding head of greyish hair and the trappings of a noble. He paced back and forth, looking over her with a grin.

"It has been quite some time since I have entertained a Beastmen guest, I do hope my unique 'talents' are suitable to your tastes." He said, moving to a small rack behind him and picking something up. Sveta tried to focus her vision, but couldn't see until he turned around. The looping coils of leather he held in his hand, stretching them out and snapping the object, allowing it to crack in the air...a whip.

She snarled. So this is what Bilibin did to political prisoners...torture. They wanted her to scream, to beg for mercy. Lady McCoy would love to hear it, and she didn't doubt this man was the same way.

"Now then. The Lady asked me to keep you company until your...'performance' tomorrow, so let's make it memorable, shall we?" He said with a twisted smile as he swung his arm down, bringing the whip across her like a snake. It sliced through cloth and skin, as a splatter of red fell onto the stones. Obviously not the first, and not the last. Sveta winced, but made no sound. It had hurt terribly, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of a scream.

"Oooh." He cooed. "The little beastgirl thinks she is strong. No matter, I've broken hardier then you, and I look forward to the challenge." He said with a loud laugh as he swung his whip twice more. The sound of ripping cloth and flesh melded with the cracking that echoed off of the walls as her legs and arms were cut open viciously. Already, blood began to drip from the fresh wounds. Her body jerked as she was struck, but she remained silent, her gaze simply drilling into the man.

"These techniques have been perfected on hundreds of prisoners. I will show you pain you have never known."

Sveta allowed herself a response to the pathetic man. "You don't know the meaning of the word.". She spat at him. And to her surprise, the man stopped. He placed the whip down, and walked up to her. He cupped her chin in his hand for a moment, before smacking it aside with a sneer.

"A smart mouth on her. We'll see how tough you talk by dawn." He growled, returning to retrieve his whip. Nine more lashes, nine more jerks of her body against the chains, but not a peep from the imprisoned queen. It was clear that the inquisitor was no longer enjoying his job. He enjoyed the pain, the dominance, the superiority. And it was precisely what Sveta was not giving him.

"Well then, perhaps if I strike a little more...personal..." He said with a wicked smile, as he loosed the whip again. This time, Sveta saw it coming right for her eyes...she refused to shut them. She would show no fear, she would endure the agonizing pain, she would not let him win.

And when the whip touched her face, it was more a caress of leather then a strike. It slapped her face weakly, and then fell to the floor. Sveta followed the path of the whip, and saw the hand of the inquisitor being gripped by the dark haired general.

"Enough." He spoke, in a harsh tone. "You'd better hope your lash did not do any permanent damage, or the young master will be quite displeased."

The Inquisitor was flabbergasted. "T-The young master? H-Her?" He looked back and forth from Sveta to the general, unable to speak.

"The Lady has ordered the prisoner to be released from your care, now remove yourself."

The short, fat and balding inquisitor backed out of the room, forgetting his 'work tools' on a side counter. The general walked up to Sveta, who glared down at him as he undid her shackles. Once her arms were free, she slumped to the ground. He undid her leg manacles and then looked at her.

"Can you walk?" He asked, his voice devoid of all emotion. Sveta attempted to stand, but found her muscles were not willing to obey that command yet. Even at the idea of it they screamed in rebellion, forcing her to her knees. She had roughly a dozen cuts up and down her body from the inquisitor's lash.

"I...do not believe so.." She answered honestly. She would not be weak, but there was no reason to not answer the general. Even if he was here to usher her to some other punishment, he had at least saved her from the lash. The general sighed, and without waiting further, picked Sveta up bridal style. "H-Hey!" She protested, but the general didn't even look at her.

"If you'd prefer to be dragged up the stairs and through the halls, just say so." He said as he began to walk.

Sveta said nothing, and allowed him to move her in silence.

* * *

><p>The pair of them moved through the palace, which seemed abuzz with activity. Now and again Sveta could hear bits and piece of gossip, but her mind was so hazy from the pain that she couldn't piece together what she was hearing. Finally, they reached a room up in what had to be the noble lodging of the palace. The guard rapped on the door with his armored foot, and it was opened by an elderly man, flanked by two maids.<p>

"Ah." He spoke. "More of Lustav's handiwork? Set her down on the table, I will do what I can, General Alastor." The man named Alastor walked over, and set Sveta down on a small wooden table. It was not very comfortable, but she did not mind.

"Any injuries? Other then the usual I mean." The older man asked, reaching over to the side and grabbing a few bottles.

"Shouldn't be. Maybe slightly bruised from the trip down there." Alastor answered. He nodded to the doctor, and then bowed to someone off to the side before leaving. Sveta couldn't see who he'd bowed to, someone behind her? Before she could look or ask, the older man came over to her with a few odd looking concoctions in bottles. As he approached her, he noticed her shy away slightly.

"Now now, no need to be afraid. I'm just going to treat your injuries. I warn you, this ointment may sting, though it will prevent the scarring Lustav's...talents may have caused." he said, unable to remove the contempt from his voice. Sveta's eyes pierced into him, but his return to her was warm. "I know, but some of us are just trying to help where we can. Now then, you two, please remove her clothing so I can examine her. We must not miss any of the injuries she may have sustained." He said to a pair of the maids, who nodded and removed the scraps of Sveta's traveling gear that remained. Were she not in excruciating pain, she might have given some thought to her own modesty, but she was in no place to resist. As the older man dabbed a cloth in the ointment, he made motions to the maids. They split up and grabbed Sveta's arms and legs, holding them down. He dabbed the cloth on one of her wounds, and ran it up and down the length of the cut. She didn't move, not an inch. She winced, certainly, but she didn't shy away at all. The doctor stopped after his first dressing and looked at her.

"And here I was wondering why her eyes weren't red. Lustav must have been livid." He said aloud, though to nobody in particular.

The healing took almost an hour, as he carefully went across each of her injuries with precision. Finally, he stepped back, pleased with the state.

"Well, I can inform you that you will have no lasting injuries or scars from this encounter. I hope you wont let Lustav's actions judge us all." He said, cleaning his hands off as he began packing up his supplies. Sveta looked over to him from the wooden table, and spoke.

"Thank you...doctor." The doctor turned around surprised. "You are quite a remarkable women to be so kind to us after what you have endured. I hope Elindow appreciates it." He said with a smile, before turning to the maids.

"She should be ready, the wounds should not reopen as long as you are careful."

They nodded wordlessly, and a third woman, older then the two other maids, entered the room. She looked more like a grandmother then a maid.

"Oh dear me!" She said, looking at Sveta and seeing the red marks that once were wounds across her body. "The nerve of that Lustav! Why he should be hung for this sort of thing!"

The doctor took this as his time to leave, and slipped out.

"Come on girls, let's get her cleaned up." And then she spoke to Sveta. "Don't you worry about a think, we'll take care of you."

Being afforded this kind of compassion, as a prisoner awaiting execution, struck her as very odd.

* * *

><p>Sveta had been pampered a lot as a royal. She'd had servants to bring her food, clean and prepare her clothing for her, tidy and arrange her room and draw her baths.<p>

It hadn't been since she was a child that she'd actually had someone else bathe her. But as she was sat into the tub, sighing in spite of herself as the warm water cascaded over her, she felt more embarrassed then before as the two maids began to actually clean her, wiping away the dirt, grime and blood from the past few days. And considering that she had been building a bridge, swimming, and cliff diving those past few days, that was a lot more dirt then usual. She felt better in the warm water, but her limbs still ached. She had been moving so fast that she was utterly confused by what was going on, until she felt hands on her hair.

"Ah!" She cried out in surprise, trying to bat the hands away. A stern, but motherly, voice rebuked her. "Now now child, just sit tight. We have to get this clean too." She heard the older women, that the maids had called 'Grandmother', say. An odd name, considering none of them looked the slightest bit related. She stilled herself, feeling her twin braids undone as her long hair flowed out behind her into the tub.

"My my. That's some of the most lovely hair I've ever seen, and such a brilliant hue. Now let's get all that dust and dirt out of it." She remarked, scrubbing Sveta's hair.

Ok, this idea of being bathed by someone else, even if she couldn't move on her own, was starting to get a little weird. And as soon as she'd entertained that thought, a bucked of water was splashed down on her from the top, and she felt arms support her to pull her from the tub. She rose, slightly unwilling to leave the warm water, and was wrapped in a towel and dried instantly as 'Grandmother' walked off to a side room. She returned with fine clothing, looking as if it was of Sanan design. "Hmmm, yes her figure is perfect for Sanan formal wear. Thankfully it's simple, those kimono's of theirs are so much easier then all the dresses and bows and makeup here. Come on girls, give you grandma a hand here!"

It was a flurry of motion about her as Sveta found herself worked into a regal Sanan Kimono. A light shade of pink with a flower petal motif, she found that she actually liked it. Of course, the shoes were discarded, and grandma looked at her, thinking.

"Hmmm...You know. I know they always wear their hair down in these things, but she just doesn't look right without it. You two, braids." She instructed, and the two maids immediately flanked Sveta, working on restoring her long, violet braids. In a moment, Sveta was standing in front of a mirror, supported on one side by one of the maids as the other walked into the hallway.

"Well deary? What do you think?"

Sveta looked into the mirror, and was amazed at what looked back. She didn't think she'd ever looked this regal, even at her own coronation. "It's...beautiful...um...grandma." She said, awkwardly, earning her a smile from the older women. "But...um...why was all of this done?" She asked, not quite sure she wanted the answer. Maybe they just wanted a more 'regal' figure to execute. Or maybe this was just some trap to raise her hopes so they could crack her.

The door into the hall opened, and another voice, this one male, filled the chamber. "I believe I can answer that question." Said a tall human as he walked in. He wore fine garb, marking him as a noble, but he was young, maybe twenty at tops. A finely combed head of light brown hair, and deep cerulean eyes that adorned his smiling face as he looked upon Sveta. And then he stopped and stared for a moment, seemingly lost in what he saw. "Ah, yes of course. Amazing work as usual Emerthalda." He said, clearing his throat. To which the older women walked over and wrapped the young man in a one armed hug.

"Awww! He's so adorable when he gets flustered! And you know you can just call me Grandma. I've been taking care of you since before you could walk, no need to be so stiff!" She ruffled the younger nobles hair, and he looked decidedly embarrassed.

"Grandmother, would you mind if I spoke to this young lady...in private?" He said smiling at Sveta as he did.

Emerthalda grinned and clapped at her remaining maid. "Well, you heard Eli! Come on now, shoo!" She said, ushering the women out of the room after she helped Sveta to sit down on a plush chair off to the side. The younger servant bowed to the man before exiting, and closed the door behind her.

Silence, sweet silence, was in the room for but a moment as the man looked around. He finally spoke up.

"I am sorry we had to meet under such circumstances..." He started, but Sveta had been in the dark long enough. She was tired and didn't feel like playing games.

"In the last day." She started. "I have been attacked, ridiculed, insulted, dragged, tortured and humiliated by you people. If you intend to apologize for all of this, stop wasting your time. I'm going to be dead tomorrow, and I don't intend to waste the time left listening to your excuses."

The man was slightly taken aback by her straight forwardness, but nodded sadly with a smile. "That is true, I suppose. We have done all of what you say, and for no reason what-so-ever. But you were wrong on one part, one quite important part."

Sveta was becoming angry, she was not in the mood for games. "And that is...?"

"You do not have to die tomorrow." He spoke clearly to her. Sveta arched an eyebrow, but let him continue.

"I'm sorry that it had to be like this, but the only way I could get you out of the dungeon was to convince my mother...convince Lady McCoy that..." He paused.

Even among the silence, Sveta knew what was coming. Why she'd been taken from the dungeon. Why she'd been healed, bathed and dressed in finery. Why she was here right now. "That you intended to marry me." Sveta finished, and was quite confused when Elindow nodded sadly. Why would he be sad about it? If she was forced to marry into the Bilibin royal family, he would control all of Morgal, wouldn't that be what any noble would want?

He sighed though. "Yes, that is correct. But that is not my desire, you must believe me." She looked closely at him, and spoke one word only.

"Explain."

He sighed again, sitting in a chair across from her. "My mother...she has been increasingly aggressive as of late. She wishes me on the throne of all Angara, perhaps all of Weyard, but she listens not to my own desires. What peace can be made from a country assembled through war and suffering? I've tried, in vain, to convince her otherwise, but she simply refuses to listen. So...when she heard the first reports of the bridge being worked on, she sent my father away to negotiate with the magistrate of Kalay. She knew he would never support her taking hostages, but once they found you, they no longer needed to. She intended to execute you before he returns, and then launch an invasion on the crippled nation of Morgal." He explained, seeming all the more weary once he finished.

Sveta paused, considering all of this. Her mind was oddly alert right now, though she wasn't sure how long that would last. "So...what did you hope to accomplish from doing this?" Sveta asked. "Are you going to throw some 'Love at first sight' story at me?"

"No!" He said, his voice raised slightly, but he retracted it. "You are attractive, yes. And I do believe you would make a fine wife, but that was not my reasoning at all. My mother, she intended to enslave the beastmen of Morgal after the invasion, and..." He paused. "I believe her words were to build the nation of Bilibin upon their bones."

Sveta heard this and her fists tensed as she gnashed her teeth. "Please!" He spoke, trying to calm her down. "I never wanted it this way. I could not stop her from trying to acquire Morgal, but I knew of one thing that I could use. She has had a misguided notion that she is giving me everything I desire. So, all I did was convince her that she had something that I did desire."

Sveta nodded, understanding. "Me."

"Yes." He replied, looking down cast. "I cannot reasonably expect you to believe me, but know this. If you do go through with this, I promise to you and your people that I will never let harm come to them. Once that act is done, then my mother will no longer have any control over Morgal, and I can move there to 'survey my new kingdom' while my parents stay here. You could return home, you could rule your people justly and without fear of Bilibin ever attacking you. We could both be free!" He said, slightly excited from the prospect.

She looked at him curiously again. "We?" She asked oddly.

He responded sadly. "Not all prisons are stone and chain , Queen Czarmaral."

What a foreign sounding name, she hated it. "Please." She said. "Call me Sveta." She hadn't intended it to be so personal, but she really did not want to be reminded of what she was here, even though it seemed inevitable. He nodded.

"Very well Sveta. You may call me Elindow."

Silence filled the room again, and he looked over her expectantly. "I am sorry to be so forceful...but my mother wanted a decision...tonight. She wants to see Morgal under Bilibin rule by the morn."

Sveta should have been shocked, but she honestly wasn't. Before she did something this major though.

"I have several questions." She said, straightening up to stare him down.

"Ask." He replied. "I will answer to the best of my ability."

Sveta began. "When I arrived here, one of your guards used something odd on me, it appeared to be an urn. That item, where is it?"

He looked depressed instantly, and responded. "That weapon of which you speak is out of my hands, sadly. Mother keeps it under lock and key unless for a specific use. It only came to our hands a few days ago though. I'm not sure what it is, but clearly you have an idea. I will not ask though."

It had felt like those holes...those Psynergy Vortexes. She'd regained some of her power since then, but the lack of her companions made her more alone then she'd ever felt. She'd had Fleet since she was but a child, and now she had none of them. "Right." She responded. She'd imagined that it wouldn't be easy. "Secondly, and this is an odd favor, I'd like to do something that may seem slightly odd." The man looked at her curiously. "If you want me to trust you, you have to be willing to trust me." She said, her eyes not flinching.

He nodded. "Very well, do what you must." He said, remaining where he was. She tried to stand, but found her limbs did not quite function as she'd wanted.

"Umm...Could you come over here? I am still weak." Elindow looked concerned, but moved next to her, kneeling. "Are you sick? Did they mistreat you?"

Sveta spoke. "A man named...Lustav-" But she was cut off.

"That slimy old wretch." Elindow growled. "Yet another crime I must atone for. Now then, what is it you need?"

"Nothing." Sveta said simply. "Just stay there for a moment." She touched two fingers to his forehead, and concentrated.

_Spirit Sense_.

And the flood of information struck her. His pain at working against his parents, his anguish at what crimes his mother had committed, how he'd formed this plan, pleading with his mother to free the 'exotic beauty' they had just captured. Sveta half smiled to herself at that. She felt a hand pushing her away, and one more word struck her consciousness before she snapped back to reality.

_Alinda_...

When she opened her eyes again, he looked panicked. He had fallen backwards in surprise, and looked up at her as if he'd seen a ghost.

"W-What was that?" He gasped, trying to maintain his composure. "You just...glowed, like a ghost!"

Sveta looked to him curiously. "You're an Adept?"

He seemed to not understand. "A what?"

Sveta explained to the young noble. "An Adept, one who uses Psynergy. If you could tell I was using it, then that would mean you'd have to be."

The young lord gave a strangled gulp. "An...Adept? Psynergy? You mean like those who broke the world thirty years ago?" He was having trouble regaining his composure.

Sveta sighed, looking slightly annoyed. "There is much more to that story then you heard, those people you fear may be the reason we are all still alive." She paused. "At any rate, I believe you."

"Then?" He asked, recovering slightly as he stood up and dusted himself off.

She nodded.

Without a word, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, golden ring, the crest of McCoy embedded in it. "It may be a facade, but still I'd prefer to do as many things right as possible." He said, getting on one knee.

"Sveta, will you marry me?"

Silence filled the room again, slow and agonizing. She looked into those cerulean eyes of his, and saw another face looking up at her. Looking at that face made giving the answer much easier.

"Yes." She said, wiping a tear from her face with her free hand.

_Matthew...I'm sorry..._

* * *

><p><em>Man, I enjoy torturing my characters, both mentally and physically apparently. I had doubts about making this a completely Sveta chapter, but if I decided to go back to all the exposition that needs to happen with Matthew and co, it'd be way too big a chapter. Also, this entire exchange really had to be as one piece, just to keep the flow.<em>

_A question or two that I will oblige. For one, the name of the general in the last chapter was Dinar, an ancient arabic coin. It might make more sense if I said it is pronounced 'Din-Are-E'._

_jollygreendragon: Those two oddities about the guards will be explained soon enough. And I hope I really captured Sveta's strength in this chapter. Glad you are enjoying it, and I'll keep an eye on the grammar._

_The rest of you should review! When I have more chapters then reviews, it's slightly insulting. I cannot improve with no feedback, so gimme some love!_


	8. Calm Before the Storm

_As I think on it now, this story might very well go beyond ten chapters. In fact, it seems unavoidable now. Perhaps if I get enough ideas, I might 'Screw Continuity' and keep going. We'll see._

-Don't Cry: Chapter 8-

Why? Why did it have to be this way? The day a girl accepted a proposal was supposed to be the happiest day in her life. So why could she not stop the tears from falling? The older boy looked up at her, and his face fell in anguish. She glanced down at him, and her tears only fell harder. She wanted to hate him. She wanted to see him as the man who stole happiness from her. Who was holding her people hostage, and who threatened her with marriage or death.

But she couldn't. Elindow was not a bad person. He was not cruel, he was not marrying her for her land or wealth, and he would, in all likelihood, be a loving husband. But she did not love him. And she knew from her glimpses into his mind, that he did not love her. They were both trapped, with this was the only way out. To die might be better then to live such a lie of a life.

But...Her people. Her first duty was to them, as their Queen. If she acted selfishly again, they would die. They would be enslaved, work until they fell or until they'd served their purpose, when that witch would likely execute them. She'd started this journey as a selfish child, but now she could not afford that luxury any more.

"I'm sorry, Sveta. I never wanted it to be like this." He lamented. She shook her head, wiping away her tears.

"Don't be. I should thank you. You sacrificed your own happiness, your own desire, to save me and my people from enslavement and death. It's true that...this is the outcome neither of us desires, but we are of the royal line, our happiness was never what was most important." She said, trying to keep herself strong. She needed to be strong, to spite how weak she felt.

It was at that point that the door swung open. "Has a decision been made yet?" Came the gaudy voice on the other side, and Sveta could feel the blood boiling inside her. Lady McCoy...

She entered the room, sending her eyes to Sveta's hand, where a golden ring lay, and let a smile cross her lips. "Excellent, we shall host the wedding first thing tomorrow morning."

"No." Sveta spoke, clearly and without fear. Lady McCoy turned, and wore an ecstatic smile on her features. However it was the most sinister smile Sveta had seen since she'd met Blados and Chalis.

"Oh my...getting cold feat are we?" She responded. "Well, she's refused my dear, I guess we have no need for-"

"I have not refused." Sveta said, cutting Lady McCoy off, as she looked back with a shocked expression. "Thanks to your 'hospitality' I cannot currently stand, much less take part in a wedding ceremony. I am sure the people would love to see a cripple bride for their new lord. And being how I was ushered through the streets and carried through these halls, I imagine the rumors are already circulating. The wedding will be the day after, so I can have the strength to dispel these rumors. After all, the wedding of ones son should be the most auspicious of days, should it not?"

Lady McCoy looked about ready to strike Sveta, but Elindow stood at Sveta's side. "Mother. She is right. The people will become concerned if my wife appears weak. I respectfully request we postpone the wedding for one more day. Please..."

She looked between the defiant expression of the Queen, and the pleading expression of her child, before turning her back to the two of them. Sveta couldn't see her face, but she was sure that she was seething. "Half a day. We will hold the wedding tomorrow at sunset, but that is final." She said, leaving the room with a huff and slamming the door behind her. Elindow sighed in relief as she left.

"I am sorry about her. But I should let you rest, it is becoming late."

Sveta glanced out the window, true enough, the sun had set. He was right in that she should rest, but for some reason she could not. She felt too awake, too anxious.

"I do not believe I will be able to sleep well tonight, if at all." Sveta responded, looking over to the bed. She raised her hand toward Elindow, who understood and handed her his own. Slowly, he helped her over to the bed, where she sat on the edge. He sat next to her, and they remained in silence for a moment more.

"In that case..." He spoke. "Would you mind if I stayed?"

Sveta looked at him suspiciously, and he raised his hands in defense. "To talk! Just to talk!" He clarified. "About...life and love and...what I am..." He paused.

Sveta stopped, considering. If she was going to be married to this boy, she might as well try to make the most of it. She'd always imagined she would be forced to wed for political reasons, it was always her fate. She'd dared to dream otherwise when she left Belinsk with her friends, but the chains of obligation were strong.

"All right." She conceded, figuring she would start it off. "So, who is Alinda?"

The strangled response from the boy was almost enough to make her laugh.

* * *

><p>Matthew was livid, gritting his teeth as he leveled his Sol Blade against the man before them. To spite the fact that this man, Dinar, had five swords pointed at him, he seemed remarkably calm.<p>

"Whoa, it's like an El-Jei standoff, except all the weapons are pointed at me!" He remarked, looking about the cave.

"Give me one reason..." Matthew snarled. "That I shouldn't kill you where you stand." His tone was clearly threatening, as he held the sword firm in his hands. To his side, Karis stood with her Sylph Rapier, and three beast men to the other side were holding swords they had 'liberated' from their Bilibin captors. It was clear they didn't know how to use them, but they were still blades.

"Oh come on now, besides the same ones I gave you for not killing me when you thought I was a _Bilibin_ General? Haven't we been through this enough today?"

Matthew paused, but a Bilibin general was far different from a Tuaparang General. "Seriously now, what reason do you have to not trust me aside from where I come from?"

Karis was the one who spoke this time. "Where you come from is more important then that! You're people nearly destroyed a whole continent for no reason! You are responsible for the deaths of thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people!"

Dinar held up a finger to stop her. "Actually, that was Blados and Chalis." Matthew was going to retort, but he was not afforded the time. "Who, incidentally, I was sent here to kill."

The silence in the cave was omnipresent, as Matthew's gaze lost it's conviction for a split second, before he steadied his hand.

"Explain yourself."

Dinar sighed. "Man, I'd much prefer telling this story with a mug of ale, but if you insist. And can you get that damn thing out of my face before you hurt someone?"

Matthew lowered the Sol Blade, but did not sheath it. Similar moves were emulated around the cave.

"Now then. I'm pretty sure Arcanus told you guys that Blados and Chalis were traitors on top of Apollo Lens, yeah?"

Matthew nodded.

"Good. Well, here's the truth of it. The Grave Eclipse, yeah we did that, no sense lying about it. However, it was only supposed to last _two days."_

Matthew and Karis both stared at him, slightly dumbstruck. Two days? It had gone on for almost a month!

"See. The original plan was you wouldn't have met Blados and Chalis until you'd finished activating the Alchemy Dynamo, Arcanus would play the villain to guide you to that point." Matthew's hand tightened around the hilt of the blade, but Dinar seemed not to notice as he twirled a coin around his fingers.

"After that, they were supposed to take you onto their airship, explain what had happened, and escort you to the location of the other two orbs and the Umbra Gear, which we already knew the location of. We couldn't get to them, though. We lack the proper Adepts." He paused. "Anyway, after that they'd fly you to the top of Apollo Sanctum, we'd get one of our soldiers to fire the lens, and it'd all be over. Two days, that was the expected time table. However, as you are aware, that didn't happen. We didn't know about Blados and Chalis being Umbra Adepts, so their betrayal caught us off guard. By the time we were able to respond, and I got down here, you'd already ended the Eclipse. So as you can see-"

"Enough." Matthew interrupted. "I don't care about what you tried to do. I'm going to rescue Tyrell and Sveta tomorrow, end of story. You, though, get out of here. I don't trust you at all, but I'm not going to kill someone who hasn't done anything wrong."

Dinar grinned, bowing slightly. "Well then, I'll take my leave. I'll contact you if anything changes, so keep an eye out." He then donned his helmet, and left into the night.

After they were sure he was out of earshot, Karis spoke. "I don't trust him."

Matthew responded. "Neither do I, but he had a lot of opportunities to just let us all die, and he didn't take them. He's the reason I still have this." Matthew said, sheathing his sword. Karis looked at him and nodded.

"I meant to ask about that..."

"Yeah." Matthew said. "One of the soldiers was gonna take it, but he, Dinar, said that it was obviously fake. After all, what kind of boy looking like me would carry a sword that looked like it was made of gold and gems? He had to know what it was...if he wanted us dead, he certainly had a lot of chances to do it."

Karis was not convinced. "But that's not how the Tuaparang work Matthew. They just use people, like us, Ryu Kou, Volechek...we're probably playing right into his hands."

"Yeah." Matthew muttered. "But do we have a choice?"

A howling wind ripped across the cave entrance as the pair of them looked over the far off lights off Bilibin.

It was only a few hours later that Dinar returned, when Karis was sitting watch by the entrance. Karis pulled out her rapier again as he removed his helmet. When he did so, she relaxed, but didn't put it away.

"We're really gonna have to work on that trust issue." He remarked with a grin.

"Shut up." Karis responded. "What changed?"

"Well...it's kind of odd now. See, they kind of changed their minds." Karis blinked once, but listened. "It's happening tomorrow _evening_ not in the morning." Karis sighed in relief. More time to prepare, that was good. But he was continuing, what else was different? "And it's not an execution." Karis nearly dropped her weapon.

"Not an-...What?" She asked, clearly confused.

"It's a wedding."

Now she did drop her weapon, with a sharp clang.

* * *

><p>Sveta felt the sun strike her eyes, and groaned. She felt so tired, she'd like so desperately to sleep for a little bit longer. Her head was resting on something quite comfortable. Not a pillow, no it was too hard for that, but it was warm and comfortable. She stirred softly, and felt the ruffle of cloth from her 'pillow'. Her eyes snapped open, and her head flew up. Colors swam before her eyes for a moment as she took in her surroundings. All right, a regal looking room...right, she was in one of Bilibin's royal guest rooms. She looked to her side, and saw Elindow rousing himself similarly. She'd be sleeping on his shoulder? She must have nodded off while they were talking last night. She went, reflexively, to stand up.<p>

And she did. It took her a moment to notice, but when she did, she stared down at her legs, dumbfounded. They weren't even sore anymore! She reached down and pulled up the fabric of the kimono to look at her skin, smooth and pure, exactly as it had been. That medicine certainly worked wonders. However, a strangled gasp from the bed made her turn in surprise.

"S-Sveta!" He cried out, shielding his eyes from her. "Please, let me leave if you intend to do that!" He seemed immensely embarrassed. Sveta looked down in confusion, was she showing off more then she intended? No...she was only visible up to her upper thigh, it wasn't high enough for him to see anything. She allowed herself a small smile.

"You are a sheltered boy, even by noble standards." She quipped, lowering her kimono. He looked slightly abash at what had just transpired.

"Oh no...I never returned to my room last night..." He said, his face suddenly paling. Sveta was confused as to what was bothering him. He sensed her confusion, and spoke.

"I'd just proposed to a foreign ruler, and I spent the entire evening in her room...I am sure rumors are already flying." It was Sveta's turn to go red, all the way to the tips of her ears. Oh well, let them talk. She was used to the maids and servants about her castle gossiping, and she imagined it was all the same here. She shrugged, and stretched out, before making a sharp jab at the air. Elindow looked at her oddly.

"Sveta, what are you doing?" He asked, confused.

"Training." She remarked simply, bouncing back and forth on her feet, throwing punches into the air, ducking to avoid counter attacks, bobbing and weaving around to keep her agile. Thankfully, the kimono didn't restrict her movements much at all, it seemed to flow about her so elegantly.

"But...why? Are you expecting a fight today?" He arched an eyebrow, still clearly confused by his bride-to-be's actions.

"Not really." Sveta said, considering it. Well, Matthew at least was in the area. If he got wind of this...would he try to rescue her? Her heart sank as she imagined him coming to rescue her, and how she would have to send him away... She kicked the thought from her mind, and resumed her shadow boxing, her blows having much more force now. "But if you don't practice, you'll get soft." She finished, bringing up a pristine hook kick, before placing her foot down. Elindow had averted his gaze, since her garment's did not support such acrobatic moves.

"I wish...I was as strong as you." Elindow spoke softly, at which point Sveta stopped and looked at him.

"Why do you think I am strong?" She asked, looking at him oddly. "Is it my physical strength? My Psynergy? My race?"

Elindow looked troubled for a moment. "I'm...not sure..." He answered honestly. "But even without those things, when you couldn't move, couldn't use your powers, you were still strong. You stood up to my mother, you refused to surrender to that..._wretched pig_." He said, refusing to even speak of the man named Lustav. "I just wish I had that kind of strength."

Sveta moved next to him and sat down, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Do you remember what you told me yesterday? About Emerthalda's granddaughter, Alinda?" Elindow's cheeks flushed as he nodded. "How you'd known her since you were both children? How she got taken on as a servant here because her Grandmother was your caretaker? How you had her assigned to be your personal servant to keep her away from the others of the castle who might mistreat her? And how...she is the reason this wedding hurts you as much as it hurts me?"

Another sad nod from him. "You do have that strength. You surrendered your own happiness for my sake, for the sake of my people, for the sake of _your_ people. You don't need to fight monsters to have strength, you just need to be able to make the tough choices. To do what is right, when what is wrong would be easier, and probably more desired." She finished, giving him a small peck on the cheek.

"You are not the man I love Elindow." She spoke clearly and simply. "But I do see some of his best traits in you." She looked to him with a smile. If this was to be her fate, then so be it. She'd make the best of it that she could. After all, there was no need for her to be more miserable then she already was, deep inside her heart.

"You are speaking about Matthew, aren't you?"

Now it was Sveta's turn to do a double take. She'd told him some stories of their adventures, but she'd never said anything special about her and Matthew's relationship. He chuckled. "I could see it in your eyes when you spoke of him. He must have been a great man, I would like very much to meet him one day."

Sveta smiled at her husband-to-be. "Perhaps one day..."

* * *

><p>The day had been long, almost all of it spent in wedding preparations. The maids had wanted to give Sveta a more traditional gown, but Elindow had put a stop to that instantly. He wanted hear wearing the Sanan Kimono that she was in, and that was it. The city was abuzz with activity, people running to and fro decorating the square, and there were even rumors that Lord McCoy had canceled his meeting to return! What a glorious day for a wedding!<p>

And when Matthew had heard the news, Karis felt certain he was about to bring the whole cave down around them. She could feel the inner turmoil in him, continuing on until well past noon. Finally, he stood, and spoke words that Karis never expected to hear.

"Let's go home Karis." He said, not looking her in the eyes.

Karis was speechless. Leave? Now? "B-But, what about Sveta?"

Matthew didn't turn to look at her. "What about her? She's getting married, most likely to protect her people. We don't have a right to interrupt that."

"And what about Tyrell?" She asked, beginning to feel her blood boil.

Matthew gathered up his belongings scattered about the cave. "Sveta will release him once she's married into the royal family I'm sure. He'll meet up with us."

"And the beastmen here with us?" Karis spoke, walking up behind Matthew.

"I'm sure she'll take care of them, they are her people after a-"

Matthew's statement stopped short. He'd begun turning around, right into a small fist as Karis floored him. He shook his head, with his ears still ringing from the force of the hit. He didn't make and outburst, didn't curse, didn't do anything.

"So that's it? After everything we've done, after all the impossible things we've accomplished, you're just gonna walk away without even trying?" She said, grabbing him by the collar and hoisting the larger boy to his feet. "I don't know if you realized this Matthew, but she _loves you_." Karis said, slowly speaking as if she was spelling the words out to him.

"You think I don't know that?" Matthew shouted back, batting her hand away. "You think I don't love her? Of course I do! How much do you think this is killing her to have to be married as a political trophy? But she made the choice, because she is a Queen, and her people come before her own happiness!"

Matthew wiped his eyes on his sleeve, turning towards the cave entrance. "It's not my place to make this choice for her. We both knew it was never going to work out anyway."

"You know..." Karis said, glaring at the back of his head. "If I'd know you were this _pathetic_ of a leader, I would have let Tyrell lead us. At least he knows the value of never giving up."

Matthew rounded of Karis. She'd never insulted his ability to lead, even when she disagreed with him. She'd known that he had his doubts of how suitable of a leader he was, but they all followed him. To hear his greatest support turn on him, made him livid. "Say that again." He said, his anger peaking.

"You're _weak!_ Look at yourself! You are too scared to go and save your best friend! And if you won't I will! With or without you!" Karis said, moving past him into the sun. Matthew grabbed her arm.

"You'll die." He spoke, though his voice contained no emotion.

"And so what?" Karis spat back at him. "I thought we were all ready to die for each other? I thought that was what made us friends? But apparently Sveta being a Queen meant more to you then Sveta being a friend."

Finally, she seemed to break through Matthew. She was right. If he left her here, without even trying, he'd regret it for the rest of his life. He wouldn't do that, he wouldn't abandon his friends when they needed his help.

Karis started to walk, ripping arm from Matthew's grasp. "Karis, wait." Matthew said, this time with enough conviction to make her turn over her shoulder.

"You're going to need help." He said, walking next to her. A smile returned to her face as he said this.

"Welcome back Matthew."

He grinned to her. "It's good to be back."

* * *

><p>The two of them, without fear, without worry, approached the gates of Bilibin. They were spotted a ways off, and by the time they reached the foot of the gate, they had a group of fifty to sixty guards before them, and roughly a dozen archers trained on them. Matthew looked around, and spied Tyrell in a corner. Tyrell looked to them, but said nothing. His look, that stupid grin, he wasn't actually confined. They'd put him in <em>metal <em>chains. He could melt through those in a second, he just needed a distraction. And it would appear that they were giving it to him.

"H-Halt!" A soldier said, stepping up towards Matthew. "Y-You are under arrest by the order of the Lady of Bilibin!" He said, standing tall. Tyrell must have scared them out of their minds if they were this timid around Matthew and Karis. He supposed he should be thankful for Tyrell's earlier performance.

"Arrest?" Karis echoed. "On what charges?"

The man pulled a small parchment from his side bag, reading aloud. "T-The charges include, but are not limited to: Invasion, Trespassing, Trafficking with the enemies of Bilibin, Assault, Arson, Instigating a Jailbreak..." But Matthew had heard enough, as he pulled his sword from it's sheath.

"Better damn well add Resisting Arrest! Attack!"

And on that sign, the manacles that bound Tyrell shattered into pieces of molten metal. His hands searing, her wrestled a sword from the grasp of a shocked soldier and roared at the top of his lungs.

* * *

><p><em>And so it begins. The prelude to the Battle at Bilibin. I hoped the setup went well, and that you enjoyed this chapter. Don't worry about Dinar, we'll see him again. And of course, a few more plot twists before the end. What will happen? Stay tuned to find out!<em>


	9. The Battle of Bilibin

_I'll be honest. I know I am writing fast, but to see my stories get Author Alerts and Favorites but no reviews, does actually annoy me. Leave me some feedback, I'd love to know if people are actually reading this. Regardless, time to continue._

-Don't Cry: Chapter 9-

The battle had started well enough. Tyrell's surprise attack from the rear, combined with Matthew and Karis jumping in from the front had worked well to disorganize the troops, but they were quickly remedying that. Matthew didn't want to have to use Psynergy on them...they were just humans doing their job. Karis and Tyrell seemed to agree in this, since none of them had unleashed even the smallest bit of Psynergy yet, choosing to fight them instead with force of arms. If they could all fight like Tyrell, they would probably win. He started off the fight disarming an opponent and then clocking him upside the head. He went on to disable two other soldier's arms with deft slashes, before picking up another and throwing him into two more. He finished this by turning and head butting a soldier lacking a helmet who'd been trying to sneak up behind him.

Matthew came close, with 5 soldiers at his feet, nursing various injured limbs, as he tried to fight a sixth who was hiding behind his sword in terror. Karis did her best with her Sylph Rapier and, when it was disarmed from her by a particularly skilled strike, with a spear she'd stolen from another soldier. She created a wide arc about her, from the soldiers who feared to get too close to the ends of that lance. With a swing of the lance, she struck a rope holding together a pyramid of ale barrels, and then deftly jumped to the side as the collection fell down, crushing at least half a dozen soldiers.

Matthew looked to the side, and jumped back from the avalanche of barrels that was coming his way. As he saw them rolling over the battlefield, he smirked at the oddity before him. The man he'd just been fighting had slipped on one of the barrels, and knocked over a set of planks laying against one of the walls. Now one of them had landed across one of the barrels, making a dangerous teeter-totter that the man was on one side of when he stood up. Matthew stepped on to the other side and, predictably, the motion panicked the man on the other side, who moved forward to attempt to balance it out.

**WHAM!** His sudden movement forward was met by the hilt of the Sol Blade, and the man fell to the ground, rolling off of the plank. Matthew was about to move as well, when he heard Tyrell shout to him.

"Matthew! Go to the other side!" He shouted, deflecting a slash and striking back, hearing the scream of his opponent. Matthew looked behind him at the other end of the balance, and the town wall behind it. A light bulb went on in his head as he realized what Tyrell intended. In an instant he jumped to the other end of the odd contraption, and he saw Tyrell focus for a moment, between opponents. Matthew and Karis could see the hands forming in the air. A soldier went to charge Tyrell, as he was vulnerable, but Karis brained him with the haft of the spear before he could even get close. Finally Tyrell opened his eyes, shooting a smile to Matthew that spoke clearly.

_Good luck lover boy. CRUSH!_

And the hands thrust down. Matthew felt the plank below him shoot up, and felt himself launched high into the air. As he looked down, he saw that while he had gotten enough distance to get to the walls, he didn't have the height to clear them. And even now, the archers were training their bows on him, ready to fire. Matthew seemed frozen in time as he looked about, and spied his saving grace. Reaching out with one hand, he pulled the power.

_Growth!_

The ivy he'd spied growing on the walls came to life, extending out to him. The archer's fired their first volley as he reached for the vine. He grabbed onto it and pulled, yanking himself over the edge, onto the wall, and just narrowly avoided the arrows. The archer's turned, and reached for more arrows, but Matthew wasn't waiting. He jumped from the wall, and looked at what was around him as he fell. Spying a flagpole on a near by building, likely an inn, he pulled at the power again.

_Grip!_

And the hand appeared again, dragging him towards the inn in a flash. When he felt close enough, he let go, and began running along the roof. He looked around, the location of the town square was obvious. It was clearly the place with the giant arrangement of flowers balloons and other festivities. The archers had stopped, since firing into town was not exactly the wisest of decisions to even their minds. Instead, soldiers on the streets attempted to climb the roof, to obstruct Matthew's path. Matthew found the need to kick one, who poked his head into his path, but the end of the roof was coming up soon, and he didn't have the speed or the strength to jump to the next one. No flagpoles or other choices for Grip on it either. Focusing for one moment, Matthew felt the power of Venus flowing through him, and grinned.

_Clay Spire!_

Spires of earth shot from the ground, but not as they usually would have. Instead, they were inverted. The base was thin, but the top was flat, like a nail. Matthew ran across these bridges of stone, watching them topple and fall behind him, as they could not balance for long on such a weak base. Three times more he repeated this, moving from roof to roof as he drew nearer and nearer to the square.

_Sveta, hang on...I'm coming, if you want me to or not._

* * *

><p>And there she sat. Atop a royal throne in the middle of the square, with Elindow next to her as the sun slowly moved towards the horizon. The introductions were done, the benediction had been finished, now all that remained...was the finale.<p>

Should she be this calm about this? She didn't want this, she didn't want to marry him. Sure he was a kind man, very sweet, and he had a sense of self sacrifice that she could not deny adoring, but he was not the one she loved. She thought, if she'd never met Matthew, would she really have been opposed to this? He was probably the best she could have hoped for as far as a political marriage went. If she'd never gone on her journey, if her brother had never died, if nothing had ever happened, she would probably have been overjoyed to marry someone as noble as Elindow.

But that was not as things were, that was as she wished things to be. The truth of the matter hurt too much to bear. She found herself standing, looking at Elindow. It was only his words that smacked her out of her trance as he held her hands in his.

"I do." He said simply. And the priest turned to her, opening his mouth.

"SVETA!"

Sveta was surprised for a second. Why did he shout at her? And why did he sound like...!

"Matthew!" She shouted out in response, as the blond came _falling out of the sky._ How on earth had he _done_ that? The shock going over the crowd was palpable as Matthew descended, and crashed into one of the guards on the stage, knocking him to the ground. He had his sword out already, and he brandished it dangerously as he stood there, with guards approaching the stage amidst the infuriated screams of Lady McCoy.

"Matthew!" Sveta said moving to him. "You can't do this! She-!"

Matthew turned from her, watching the steps. "You can make your decision as a Queen later. I'm here rescuing my friend Sveta, not the Queen of Morgal."

Sveta's eyes teared as she listened to him...in his eyes, she was who she liked best. She was just Sveta, just the companion they had smiled, cried, laughed and loved together with. She, however, nearly shrieked when she saw someone moving through the crowds. No, the someone wasn't important, the vase they were carrying was what terrified her.

"M-Matthew! Watch out!" She cried out. Matthew turned, as a coldness surrounded them. Matthew felt it, his power being sucked out of him. This must be what Dinar mentioned...

"_H-Hey! What's the deal?"_

"Flint!" Matthew shouted, as the talkative Djinn vanished into the hole, followed quickly by his companions. The cruel laugh of Lady McCoy filled the square as Matthew felt his strength leaving him.

"Treason! Execute them both!" She cried.

Soldiers began closing in, and Elindow moved in front of Sveta, feeling himself growing weaker as he did so. "That...jar. Urgh..." He groaned as he collapsed.

Matthew struggled to remain standing. There had to be something he could do...some..way to stop this. An idea struck his head out of desperation, and he pulled his sword back.

Sure it could hold Psynergy. But it didn't look any different from a normal pot physically. Only one chance.

And with the last of his strength, he threw the Sol Blade at the urn. He collapsed to his hands and knees as it arced through the air, twirling beautifully as the sunlight gleamed off of it. The soldier holding the urn screamed, and dived to the side as it impacted into the machine. The sword cut clean, sticking out of it as an eruption of golden and purple light flew forth from the vase as it exploded into shrapnel. Along with these streams of light, eighteen orbs of gold and purple flew out, finding their ways to Matthew and Sveta.

"_Good work kid, I was worried for a moment!"_

"_Mistress!"_

"_It was Scarry in there!"_

"_Weeeee!"_

Matthew grinned to himself, standing up as he shook off the fatigue. "Now then, does anyone else want to fight?" He asked. The guards were still for a moment before one of the General's shouted.

"He's unarmed you fools! Take him!" As the guards realized this, they charged Matthew. Matthew readied himself for a fight, until a figure moved up next to him. He turned his head, and for the first time took in what exactly Sveta was _wearing._ "Uh...You look nice." He commented oddly.

Sveta grinned. "The flirtations will have to wait. I have a _lot_ of payback to give." She said, cracking her knuckles. And with a dive, she jumped right into the group of guards. Two of them hit the ground before her feat did.

* * *

><p>Karis and Tyrell stood side by side outside the gates.<p>

"He made it in." Tyrell said with a grin.

"Yeah..." Karis responded. "But what about us?"

Tyrell smacked aside a soldier. "What about us?"

Karis, similarly, brought her spear down on top of another soldier's head. "You do notice the situation we are in, right Tyrell?"

Tyrell looked around them. "Hmmm, reminds me of Apollo Sanctum."

Karis snickered. "Surrounded by idiots?" She asked.

"Well there's that..." Tyrell let it drift off.

"Outnumbered fifty to one?" She guessed.

"That too..." Tyrell said, watching as the guards began to close.

A brief pause. "...About to die?"

Tyrell gritted his teeth and clenched the 'borrowed' sword in his hands. "Yeah...that was what I was referring to."

The time for jokes had ended. Both fighters had their hands full with the enemies pressing on them from all sides. Still, Tyrell wasn't a brute for nothing, and did his best to make his hits knock the foes back, into each other. Karis' agility gave her the edge against many of her opponents, and her range allowed her to strike many before they could even get close. Finally, the numbers and their own exhaustion began to take it's toll, pushing the two friends back until their backs connected. Tyrell spoke first, panting heavily.

"It's been good." He said with a smile.

Karis held her spear out, it shaking in her uneasy hands as she breathed hard. "The fight?"

"...Knowing you."

Silence in the air for but a moment longer. "Same here Tyrell..." She said, and watched as the men began to close with a loud roar. Tyrell shouted in response, swinging his own blade with all the force he had left, knowing he couldn't even fell one of his attackers like this.

And in an instant, the sword was thrown from his grasp. He looked up, and saw the area in front of him empty...no, not empty.

It was a typhoon! The Bilibin soldiers were being thrown around like matchsticks, and a look over his shoulder showed a similar scene before Karis. She, however, looked to be wavering, about to fall into the tornado.

"Whoa!" Tyrell said, turning and grabbing her in a bear hug. Holding her steady lest she fall into the winds herself. After but a moment, the winds died down, and Tyrell looked about to see what had happened. He spied, in the distance, two men walking towards them. Unsure of their intentions, he released Karis and grabbed another discarded weapon.

"You ok there Karis? I don't think it's..." He didn't get to finish though, as Karis dropped her spear to the ground and ran up to the two people. They came into sight, they were both dressed in finery. One of them was a rather old man, his hair in a patch of gray on the very top, with a small beard of similar tone. The other, a much younger blond man. Rather short, and holding an odd looking staff. Was he the one that had conjured that whirlwind?

"Dad!" Karis shouted, giving the younger man a hug. "Boy are we glad to see you!"

Tyrell nearly dropped his sword. _Dad? We were just saved by Ivan of Kalay? Why is he even here?_

Ivan smiled down at his daughter. "Oh, we were discussing the peace treaty between Bilibin and Kalay when we were invited to attend the Royal Wedding of the Queen of Morgal to the young Lord. Thankfully, Lord McCoy did not mind me roughing up his soldiers a little bit to rescue you, but why were you being attacked?"

"The marriage!" Karis explained, hastily. "They are threatening Sveta to make her marry so they can get all of Morgal! We're trying to save her."

"Sveta?" Ivan echoed. "Since when are you on a first name basis with the Queen of Morgal?"

Tyrell came out from the background now. "It's a bit of a long story." He said stretching out. "And Matthew is in there right now. We're gonna have to explain it later."

A brilliant light coming from the center of town drew all of their attentions.

"Let's go." Ivan said, leading the party through the streets with haste.

* * *

><p>Dear gods could she fight. Matthew always knew this, but seeing over a dozen soldier's at Sveta's feet, with her not even scratched, was just terrifying. Most of the civilian's had been evacuated. Only Matthew and Elindow remained on the platform. A gasp from behind him turned Matthew's attention, as the young noble pointed to the palace's walls. Archers, more archers. And they were aiming for Sveta...but as close as she was, they'd probably be killing their own guards! Didn't they even care?<p>

Without giving it a second though, Matthew jumped down so he was behind Sveta. The twang filled his ears as the arrows were loosed, but Matthew knew what to do.

"Brick!" He shouted, and the mighty earthen barrier surrounded him and Sveta, stopping the arrows. It remained for a second before Matthew put his hands on it.

_Spire!_

The outside of the wall formed into spikes of earth, and fired off into the soldiers. The crashes and screams were a perfect indication that it had worked. Sveta, on the other hand, had not been wasting time.

"Kite!" She called, feeling herself becoming even faster then before. With this added speed, she called to another of her friends. "Fleet! Help Matthew!"

And Matthew felt the speed it granted to him, allowing him to dodge the blades and spears as if they were standing still. He found himself pushed next to Sveta, as the three Djinn circled around them.

"_I'm ready! I'm ready!"_

"_We can do it!"_

"_C'mon! Let's show em!"_

Sveta smiled, and Matthew looked to her. They'd both thought of the same plan, and worked into it flawlessly. He snaked his hand behind him, taking hers.

"You ready?" He asked with a smile as the guards converged again.

"I was wondering how long you'd keep me waiting." She remarked with a light heated smile.

And the two minds that were once one connected once again.

_Goddess of the eternal fields, spread you soothing winds! Flora!_

The light that filled the sky was blinding, the maiden that appeared in the sky breath taking, but when at last the light and the rose petals faded, the deed was done.

Matthew and Sveta looked about the square, where there were no enemies left standing. Matthew smiled and turned to Sveta. She met his gaze, and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into a passionate kiss. Matthew was surprised, but didn't deny her this, grabbing her in his arms as well. The two did not break immediately, remaining there for an all to brief moment before a shout from behind them pulled them back to Weyard.

"Hey, we interrupting anything lovebirds?" Matthew and Sveta broke apart, and both turned to see Tyrell. Matthew had never been so happy to see his friends in his entire life.

Karis, meanwhile, had smacked Tyrell upside the head again. "Dofus! You totally ruined the moment!" She chastised him. Ivan just laughed.

"I knew I shouldn't have let her hang around with Jenna that much. But I think now the time for jokes is gone, what on earth happened here and...dear me these soldiers aren't _dead_ are they?" Ivan asked, looking at the bodies that filled the square.

Matthew and Sveta just laughed. "No no." Sveta said, legitimately happy for the first time in days. "We just asked Flora for a little help so we wouldn't have to fight them all."

Ivan nodded, understanding. "You didn't want to kill them, so you put them to sleep. And you must be Sv...er Queen Czarmar-"

"Please!" Sveta interrupted, holding up her hand. "Sveta is fine." She looked to the older man among them, who had been remarkably quiet as he looked around, and then his eyes locked on Matthew.

"Him! Tha' boy! Is he tha boy I be thinken he is?" The older man spoke, and Ivan nodded.

"Yes, that is Matthew. He is Isaac's son. Tyrell here is Garet's son, and Karis is my daughter." Ivan explained. The older man looked bemused.

"Aye, a tough thought this be. Tha children of tha warriors who helped mah city, attackin mah sons weddin...what in land's name happened here?"

"Father." Came the voice from the stage, and all eyes turned to the young lord.

"Eli! Ah thank tha gods yer allright!" McCoy spoke, moving to his son. "What be goin on here?"

Matthew began. "They abducted Sveta to try and for-"

But Sveta interrupted. "No!" She moved from where she was to in front of Lord McCoy, and she bowed. "It is an honor to meet you, Lord McCoy of Bilibin. I believe your son can explain everything that has transpired." Matthew's expression was thunderstruck, but Sveta's smile shut him up. She knew what she was doing.

"Father...I..." He began, but a shrill voice cut through the square.

"My Lord!" Came the cry from the palace door, as Lady McCoy herself ran out as quickly as her dress would allow her. "My Lord look at this! These ruffians have invaded out land, they have ruined your sons wedding, they have killed scores of soldiers! We have the royal guard inside the palace, we must teach them a lesson!"

Silence filled the air, and Sveta walked up to be nose to nose with Lady McCoy. "You think you have strength through your soldiers, or through your land, or though your wealth. But you don't know the meaning of true strength."

Elindow, who had meekly silenced himself at his mother's appearance, looked up to catch her gaze. True strength...

"Why you impudent little..."

"Enough!" He shouted. Both McCoy's seemed to be taken aback by this outburst, and looked to their normally timid son. "Father. These people are here because of our mistake. They have committed no wrong, and I ask that they be allowed to leave the country with no repercussions."

"B-But Elindow...you don't mean th-" Lady McCoy started, but Lord McCoy cut her off.

"Aye. I cannae raise arms agains tha children o' those who are tha reason I still have a kingdom. Yah may go, and neevah have anything ta fear from us again, in Kalay or Morgal."

Sveta beamed moving to Lord McCoy and bowing deeply. "My most humble thanks to you Lord McCoy. You are as wise and compassionate a ruler as your son says."

Lord McCoy returned the bow to Sveta. "Aye, and a pleasure to be meeting yah Qu-...ah it was Sveta, aye? A pity though." He said, leaving the sentence half finished.

"I beg your pardon?" Sveta said, curiously looking up at the graying man.

"Seeing ya now, I was excited to have a daughter tha stunning." He said with a loud laugh.

Sveta blushed heavily, and even Matthew couldn't help but let a chuckle come from his lips, as he wrapped his arm about her shoulders. She smiled, leaning her head against him. Finally, this felt right.

Elindow looked upon her with a sad smile, and Sveta broke away from Matthew for a second as she walked over to him. She pulled off the ring, and handed it back to him.

"I'm sorry." She said with a smile. "It just wouldn't have worked out. But maybe there is someone in that palace who is better suited to wearing that ring." She said, leaning in and giving him a quick kiss.

"You saved my life, my people, and were the reason I had a chance to have a happy life. I can only pray that you get the same chance someday." She said, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Oh and by the way, I think now is a good time. Elindow, please meet my friend Matthew."

Matthew stepped forward oddly, looking at the man who had just kissed his girlfriend. They stared at each other for a moment before Matthew held out his hand, which the young lord took.

"You helped Sveta?" Matthew asked.

"I only did what any normal person would be expected to do..." He said. "It was nothing."

Matthew grinned. "Oh. Well in that case, thanks for nothing then." Elindow was panicked for a second, before he saw Matthew's grin and chuckled himself.

"I see why she speaks highly of you. But I'm afraid I don't see the similarity." The last part was directed to Sveta, who looked at the pair of them smiling.

"That's all right." She said. "If you are half as strong as I think you are, you'll be able to find your own happy ending."

The two released hands, staring at each other for but a moment more. "Well..." Matthew said. "I think we've caused enough trouble here for one day. It's probably time for us to go."

Ivan looked to Lord McCoy. "Well, we still have the details of that trade agreement to resolve. Shall we step inside?" He said, allowing the elderly noble to lead Ivan, clearly in a good mood. Lady McCoy followed , looking as if she'd just been slapped by the entire group of them. Sveta doubted it would be the last she'd hear of her, but for now she could leave.

She took Matthew's hand as they walked around the people in the streets. It was time to go home...home...

Her heart sank as another long forgotten realization came to light. They stared at the two paths on the road...one west and one east, and for a moment time stopped as Matthew and Sveta caught each others eyes.

Even with Tyrell and Karis happily bickering on the path behind them.

With the sights of the battle outside, and the sounds of the soldiers who were being healed.

The two stared on to each other, and Karis seemed to realize first what they were thinking on. After a moment, Tyrell was the one to speak up.

"Hey Karis, do you think they ever cleared out the south end of Konpa Cave?"

Karis turned to Tyrell with a surprised smile, and nodded. "I'm not sure, why don't we check it out for ourselves! Hey Matthew!" She added, unable to remove the smirk from her mouth. "Could you walk Sveta home? We'll pick you up at Ayuthay. You should be able to get Eoleo to drop you off there from Belinsk, right?"

Matthew felt a smile tug at his lips. He had the best friends in the whole world, that much was for sure.

Sveta grinned deviously, and turned to Tyrell and Karis who were both grinning like mad men. A little turnabout would be fair play. "Oh that sounds like a lovely idea! And it will give you two some alone time as well!" She added, with a sly grin to Karis.

The expression was priceless, Matthew thought. As Tyrell nearly fell flat on his face and Karis went so red she looked like she threatened to light on fire.

"S-S-Sveta! What do you mean by that?" She shouted out loud, but Sveta just laughed as she ran with Matthew down the east path. She could hear Karis' shouts carried along the wind, the same wind that now flew through her hair. She laughed brightly, never believing this feeling of weightlessness would be hers again. Matthew was dragged along behind her, albeit willingly, and couldn't help but laugh with her as they celebrated her new freedom.

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><p><em>No this is not the end, but it might be 'an' end. I've been waiting to write this chapter for some time, and I felt more proud of it then I have in a while. If you have to review something, do this chapter please. I am very curious to find out what other people thought of it.<em>

_Also, two chapters in one day. Of this length, I think that has to be some kind of record._


	10. Understanding

_Holy crap. You guys came through for me in spades. Lots and lots of reviews in just over a day, I'm seriously impressed. Now if only we could do that after every chapter! I'll address some of the questions that I can in the end A/N, so keep an eye out. Some of your questions may be answered here._

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><p>The journey back to Border Town was hundreds of times better then the journey from there. No chains, no despair, no worry, just two friends walking down the dirt path with not a care in the world. The running had been exhilarating, but eventually Sveta decided that walking was far more energy conservant and pleasant. The fact that Matthew was having trouble keeping up with her may have contributed to that. They'd left at dusk however, and now the sun had set behind the mountains, shrouding them in growing darkness.<p>

"I guess we should stop for tonight." Matthew said. Sveta nodded, stopping and making a motion to remove her pack, by habit. She quickly realized she wasn't wearing one, due to all of her equipment being taken away when she was imprisoned in Bilibin. And in her haste, she did not think to pick it up before they left. Matthew, was not so unlucky, having kept his the whole time. He began unpacking the bag, setting out what was in it. Food, water skins, a bit of excess cloth, random odds and ends, a small two man tent...wait.

The realization his Matthew almost instantly, as Sveta looked over the contents of the pack. "Matthew, what's wrong?" She asked him, looking over what lay on the ground. It looked like it was all there. "Did they take something from you?"

"No no." Matthew said, moving the gear aside into piles. "Just looks like I'm going to be sleeping under the stars tonight." He remarked, rolling out the tent. Sveta just looked at him.

"And why would you have to do that?"

Matthew looked up at her with a profoundly confused expression.

_Please let her just not have noticed...please oh please let her not be suggesting..._

"Sveta." Matthew said. "I only have the one tent."

She looked at him, seemingly not caring. "Yes, I noticed. So?"

Matthew seemed lost for words, opening his mouth and then closing it. Sveta smiled at him, not lewdly, with a humorous grin. "Matthew, it is just us, and nothing is going to happen, so what does it matter? Unless, you don't want to..." She put on a slightly disappointed expression.

Matthew snapped up. "Uh no! No, you're right. It's just us, and nothing is going to happen. So it's ok." Sveta smiled brightly, kissing him on the cheek. "Good! That's settled! Now throw the tent over here, let's get it set up!" She said, moving away and helping his stretch out and nail down the canvas. As they did so, Sveta humming happily to herself, Matthew's thoughts swam.

_Did she...did she just emotionally blackmail me?_

Matthew was absentmindedly pounding in one of the tent pegs when Sveta looked over the top of the canvas. "I think you got it Matthew." She said with a laugh. "What _are_ you thinking about over there?"

"No. Nothing!" Matthew called out, rising from his place and looking about at how dark it had become. "I think we made camp too late for hunting. I have some food with me still, so we should be all right. We should probably avoid that tomorrow."

Sveta nodded, tossing some of the wrapped food to Matthew, who caught it and peeled back the cloth around it. He took a bite of the dried food, and found it wasn't as bad as he'd thought. With the right nuts and herbs added, it could actually be pretty good. Still nothing compared to a fresh cooked meal though, his mind started to wander at that...seeing Ivan had reminded him of visiting his Mother in Kalay. Now _she_ was a good cook.

"Matthew?" Sveta asked, swallowing the bit of food she was nibbling on. "What are you thinking about?"

Matthew looked to her. "Oh, I was just thinking about my mom, back in Kalay. Seeing Karis' dad, Ivan, reminded me of her." He explained. Sveta looked genuinely interested.

"Oh, that was...Jenna, right? You've never really spoken about her, what is she like?" Sveta asked, clearly interested.

"Well." Matthew started. "I don't see her too often. I mostly live with my dad by Mt Aleph. But I visit every now and again, and I was raised in Kalay." He explained. "She's...strong." He replied. "Not like, muscle strong, personality strong. Nobody really gets in her way when she's in one of her moods. Not my dad, Ivan or even Garet. And my dad and Garet have known her their whole lives." He remarked, laughing as he thought about it. "She's really nice though, but strict. And _man_ can she cook. Way better then my dad anyway."

Sveta listened with a smile. "She sounds like quite a women, I'd like to meet her one day."

Matthew just laughed. "Yeah, something tells me you two would hit it off great." He said, chuckling as he imagined that encounter.

Sveta looked at him oddly. "What do you mean? Would she not like me?" She asked, looking slightly worried.

Matthew waved his hand dismissively. "Oh no no. It's just, you're a lot like her. Maybe a bit less of a temper, but that might be because she's a Mars Adept. Tyrell and Eoleo had that hot headed streak too."

Sveta looked at Matthew with a look of mock offense. "Why Matthew, are you saying I am not lady like?" She asked, trying her best to sound indignant.

Matthew grinned, shooting it right back at her. "Well, you did just beat up two dozen professional soldiers with your _bare hands_ without even ripping your dress." He remarked, and Sveta lightly punched him on his shoulder.

"Exactly. If I wasn't a refined lady, I wouldn't have been concerned about the dress." She explained. They both erupted into laughter. After a few moments, Matthew finished wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes. This was how life should be. Two friends, maybe more, on the road, sharing stories and just enjoying their youth. No desperate need to save the world, or find some relic, or to get any place in particular. Belinsk would still be there in a few days time. And in that time, they could lay back and enjoy what they'd found here. But Matthew had one question that had been nagging at his mind for the better part of this trip, and he finally worked up the nerve to ask what might be an unpleasant question.

"Sveta?"

Sveta was still recovering from her laughing fit. "Hee hee, yeah?"

"...What was Elindow like?"

She stopped laughing almost immediately, but her smile didn't fade. She paused, thinking fondly of him. Her husband in another world, maybe. "Why do you ask?" She remarked, though his answer didn't really matter.

"I'm kind of curious, you seemed to really care for him, and you'd only known him for roughly a day, right?"

Sveta nodded. "Yes, that is correct. I met him for the first time when..." She paused. Some of the story was painful, but it was all important to know how she felt about the boy. "This is not a pleasant story Matthew..." She said.

Matthew took her hand in his. "If it hurts too much, you don't need to." He said. But she shook her head.

"No, you deserve to know. It's important that you do. Lady McCoy, she had me thrown into the dungeons. There I was introduced to the royal inquisitor, a man named Lustav..."

The story continued, on and on it went. Explaining everything, from the torture to the recovery, to their long discussions and finding out he was an Adept. Matthew remained silent for this, but he made a mental image of this...Lustav. If he ever saw him, in any of his travels...he would...

"Do nothing." Sveta said. Matthew looked up, and saw her gaze locked with his. "You will do nothing to that wretch of a man. He is mine, as I have a promise to keep to him."

Matthew arched his eyebrow, but let it go. "Anyway." He said, desperate to change the topic. "I can see why you liked him so much, he sounds like quite a man." Sveta laughed to herself.

"Actually, he reminded me of you a lot. In more then just his actions. He always felt very stable, even when things were falling apart." She remarked. "He may have not known what to do, but he was a support." She seemed to be thinking for a moment.

"Say, you mentioned earlier that most Mars Adepts were hot headed, right?"

"Yeah." Matthew said, nodding. "At least all the ones I know of. Garet, Tyrell, Eoleo, Jenna, and then the four Prox warriors..." Sveta arched an eyebrow.

"The four Prox warriors? Who are they?" She asked.

Matthew stalled for a second. "They were four Mars Adepts from a town called Prox at the base of the Mars Lighthouse. They were also trying to revive Alchemy, but they were a bit more...aggressive in their methods." He explained.

"And where are they now?" She asked.

"They were killed by the Warriors of Vale at various parts in the quest..." He said.

"Oh..." Sveta remarked, looking up towards the sky. "I see..." She responds, letting a silence over take them.

After a moment or two, Matthew stood up. "Well, we should probably turn in. It'll be another long trip tomorrow." Sveta smiled at him, but then looked about oddly.

"Ummm...Matthew? Do you have...a blanket or something in there?" She asked awkwardly.

Matthew looked at her. "Hmm? Oh yeah I do, but I hadn't planned to use it. It's pretty warm. Why? Are you cold?" He asked, moving over to her.

Sveta shook her head. "No no, it's not that it's just...I...um...this is all I have." She said, gesturing to the kimono. Matthew got what she was saying, and his face went red as he realized.

"Right! Right! I'll uh...just let you get changed and lay down first then...or you can just have the tent."

Sveta looked annoyed this time. "It's just the two of us, nothing is going to happen Matthew."

"R-Right...nothing is going to happen..." And with that, Sveta took the blanket and retreated into the tent. The sound of ruffling clothing hit Matthew's ears, and he found it very difficult to focus on anything other then that sound and the image his teenage mind had conjured up.

_Oh please gods, don't use Spirit Sense..._

"All right Matthew." She called from behind the flap. "You can come in now." Sveta resisted the urge to say 'No Peaking', she figured that would not do anything to set Matthew's poor mind at ease.

Gulping Matthew moved into the tent, and saw that Sveta was on the other side of it, buried under the blanket as her kimono was neatly folded off to the side. Matthew laid down in the tent awkwardly, sparing a glance in her direction as she peered over the blanket to look at him.

"G-Good night Sveta." He mumbled, laying down with his back to her.

"Good night...Matthew." She whispered, closing her eyes as she lay on her back.

* * *

><p>Matthew lay happily under the blue sky. Their journey had been long, but they finally made it back to Belinsk. Now they rested, but a moment, outside of the city walls. She lay next to him, her head rested in the crook of his arms. This moment was perfect, if only it could stay forever. She looked to Matthew, and he found himself falling into those emerald eyes of her. She spoke softly.<p>

"Matthew...there is something I've always wanted to do..." She spoke so sweetly...so alluring.

"Anything." Matthew responded, as he pulled her closer and she buried her face into his chest. She then dug her claws into his chest and ripped in.

A sharp pain brought Matthew back to reality as he lay on the tent ground. His eyes adjusted quickly, since pain made that easier. He was in the tent, his chest _hurt_, and he was facing away from the tent flap. He looked down, and saw why. Sveta was pressed up against him, clinging to him, and her claws were actually into his chest. Only slightly, but enough to hurt. He went to pull back slightly, but realized the problem instantly. Her legs, and her blanket, had somehow managed to get tangled in his own. If he moved, chances are he would pull the blanket, that was already hovering dangerously low on her chest, completely off.

Matthew swallowed had, before moving his hands down and taking Sveta's hands. He could swear he saw her smile in her dream as he pulled her nails out of his chest and laid her arms on the blanket. They didn't remain there long, though, as they immediately found there way back to him, though not impaling him this time.

Matthew sighed softly. So Sveta was an active sleeper, just great. Well..he wasn't getting any sleep tonight. He looked down at her sleeping face, she smiled so contently, and decided that it was worth it. To see her this happy was worth a night of no sleep, but they'd have to find a better solution tomorrow.

To spite his thoughts, and obvious distraction at having a mostly nude women clinging off of him in her sleep, he did eventually fade into sleep himself. The dreams this time, were much different then they were before. And he was quite glad that Sveta was not awake to Spirit Sense him as to why he looked so happy in his dreams.

When morning finally did come, Matthew was the first to wake. He opened his eyes and found himself staring at Sveta's still sleeping face. Her lips pursed together so...perfectly...her body clinging to him...it was like something out of a dream here. But as he saw her rouse, he quickly shut his eyes again, pretending to be asleep. He heard her grumbling as she roused herself, and eeping in surprise as she realized where she was. He felt the motion next to him as she pulled herself away rapidly, and the flurry of cloth moving about as she was getting herself dressed. It was at this point that Matthew allowed himself to stir, looking around the tent as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He yawned, looking to her.

"Ah...Morning Sveta." He said, looking towards her with a smile. She smiled back, her face slightly red when she suddenly looked aghast, staring at him. Matthew looked down, and saw what she was looking it. He had eight small holes in his shirt, and a few small trickles of blood on the shirt itself.

"Oh my gods! Matthew I am so sorry!" She exclaimed. "I don't know what came over me. Oh no I-"

But Matthew stopped her. "Sveta, please. I've gotten worse then this setting up camp. Like when Tyrell nearly took my foot off when he was cutting firewood?" He placed his hands on his chest, but Sveta knocked them away.

"Stop being stupid and let me see it." She said, opening his vest so she could see the punctures. The shirt still obstructed her view, and she lifted it up to inspect the skin. "Beastmen claws are designed to rip and tear, I need to make sure the wounds aren't too jagged, otherwise they won't heal right with a blanket cure." She explained, resting her hands on the wounds. Matthew felt the energy flow, the healing energy that was his anathema. Still, the wounds knitted themselves together, and he let out a small sigh as he felt the strength boost from Sveta's Psynergy. She seemed satisfied with what she saw, and looked up to Matthew.

"Now it is fixed...uh..." She just realized the awkwardness of the situation they'd placed themselves in. "I'm...going to go gather some breakfast!" She said, dashing out of the tent. Matthew watched her run off.

_What kind of breakfast is she going to gather dressed like a Sanan noble?_

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><p>The next day had passed mostly uneventfully. Casual discussions of life, the past, what the future plans were, and what their friends must be doing now. More then a few times the subject of Karis and Tyrell came to the forefront, bringing bright laughter from the both of them. But eventually, the walls of Border Town came into view on the horizon. Sveta saw it first.<p>

"Look, Matthew! We're here, where our journey started." Matthew nodded, looking to her.

"It was a dangerous journey." He spoke, solemnly. "All of us almost died...war was almost declared, and I almost made the biggest mistake of my life." Sveta looked to him, concerned.

"Do you regret it?"

Matthew swept over to her, pressing a quick kiss to her lips, which she happily returned.

"Never."

She smiled at him as he broke the kiss. "You are _such_ a flirt." She said, playfully slapping his face. Matthew grabbed her hand and held it in his.

"And you love it." He shot right back at her. Sveta laughed again, but then straightened up and removed her hand from his. She still was not ready to act as a couple in public, just traveling companions as they had been. Matthew supposed he could live with that. It would, after all, be such a _scandal_ for a Morgal National Hero to be seen flirting with the Queen.

They reached the walls, and found a somewhat familiar face come out from the side of the walls to stand before them. Matthew nearly went for his weapon, but stopped himself seeing that his opponent had none drawn. Sveta walked up to the dark haired man and looked over him.

"General Alastor..." She spoke as a greeting.

"Queen Sveta." He responded, nodding to her, and stepping aside. "You are free to return to your own country."

Sveta and Matthew moved past him, walking into the Bilibin side of Border Town, which had started to be repaired. It seemed that things were going to return to normal, eventually. But the General behind them spoke up.

"You, boy. You are called Matthew, correct?"

Matthew turned to him, trying not to glare. "Yes, I am." He responded. Sveta turned as well, looking at Alastor curiously.

"Where did you get that scarf? I know a man thirty years ago who wore one just like it, he was called Isaac." If Matthew was surprised., he suppressed it quickly.

"He's my father." Matthew answered. The General nodded.

"Very well then, when you see him, tell him a soldier of Bilibin thanks him for saving his life." The General spoke, his strong eyes not wavering.

Matthew couldn't help his surprise now. "My Father...saved your life?" He echoed, and the man nodded.

"I was but a green soldier, and he saved Bilibin and Kolima from the curse of the Divine Tree. I, myself, remember that..curse...quite vividly. He left before I could ever thank him, and I never saw him again. If you can ensure that message reaches him, this old soldier would appreciate it."

Matthew nodded. "I'll tell him." He said, looking the man over. He didn't seem like a bad person, but he'd certainly done nothing but cause them trouble. Sveta, on the other hand, had closed her eyes and sniffed the air. She bowed her head in a moment and spoke.

"I am sorry, General Alastor. I had my suspicions for quite some time, but I didn't know until I was able to meet you alone."

The General looked at her oddly. "What are you talking about?" He asked, his face still all business.

"That scar on your eye, that was from a Beastmen, wasn't it?"

The General closed his eyes, turning away from her. "Ancient history child."

Sveta bowed to him. "I hope one day you can forgive my people for what they have done to you."

He glanced towards her. "Forgiveness for something so permanent is rather hard to give. You may know that soon enough."

Sveta looked confused, but he turned and walked away to the guard house, slamming the door behind him. Matthew placed his hands on her shoulders. "It's all right, he'll see one day. Let's go." He spoke into her ear in a soothing tone.

Sveta nodded, heading down the path towards the bridge. As she did, she heard a crack fill the air that made her jump. Matthew noticed this and went to her side. Sveta's breathing was heavy, her eyes had nearly dilated, and she looked like she was about to pass out. "Sveta! Hey Sveta! You ok in there?" he asked, as two other voices came to his ears.

"_I don't see why we can't just use these beasts to build the bridge back up. Why do we need to use our own people?_"

"_It's the Lord's orders. No harm is to come to Morgal's people."_

"_Oh I won't hurt them...much. Heh heh heh heh."_

Matthew heard this and felt his blood boil, but he did notice something unusual. His hands on Sveta seemed to be getting pushed out...away? He looked back at her, and nearly recoiled as he saw her in the midst of her transformation. The regal kimono ripped to shreds as her muscles bulged. She looked livid, and ready to kill.

"Sveta!" Matthew called, running forward to her. But she bounded away from him before he could get close. She rounded the corner with a snarl, and a pair of screams greeted Matthew's ears as she vanished from his sight.

_No no no no! Dammit! This is the last thing I need right now!_

Matthew rounded the corner, and saw a sight that made his mind blank with rage. One man was knocked to the side, obviously terrified, but unhurt. The other, a short, balding, fat man was held in the air by her right claw. He struggled lamely, trying in vain to pull her claw away from his neck as she began to squeeze. Matthew saw trickles of blood fall from where the man's neck was slowly being punctured.

"Sveta!" He called, going to run forward and stop her. She was going to do something irreversible, even if the man deserved it. However, an armored hand blocked his path. Matthew looked up to see Alastor standing next to him. He would have pushed past, but he saw that his other hand was holding back his own troops.

"None of you can interfere. It isn't our place." He said sternly. And Matthew stood watching, even though he wanted so badly to run to her.

The man screamed and wailed, begging for his life from the beast before him. The beast merely growled, her massive fangs an inch from the pathetic man. With a loud roar she opened her mouth wide, and the man shrieked before passing out. She then threw the body to the side, and it crashed into several spare planks of wood along a pile of stone. The body fell limply to the ground as Sveta slowly resumed a human shape. In an instant, Alastor stepped forward and pulled off his cape, marking him as a commander, and wrapped it about her. Sveta, who wore an expression of extreme disgust, looked to him curiously as she felt the cloth touch her shoulders. She then realized that the Sanan Kimono was not as loose fitting as her travel gear, and had not been designed with her transformation in mind. Red began to fill her cheeks as she realized that she had just...transformed back...in front of...

Alastor's strong arms rose up to catch her as the darkness claimed her. Or maybe it was just all the blood rushing to her head.

* * *

><p>Sveta was having the most wonderful dream. She couldn't seem to remember what it was, but she knew it was good. When the cool breeze woke her, it was dark. She blinked twice, and took in her surroundings. She was in a bed, ok good start. She pulled the covers back and was about to swing her legs out when she noticed that she was not dressed.<p>

"Eep!" She got out, pulling the covers up tightly. The noise had been enough to wake up Matthew, who was across the room. He yawned, getting up from his chair.

"Ah, welcome back." He said, not looking directly at her. "Did you sleep well?"

"Y-yes..." She mumbled out. "W-What happened?"

"After you transformed back, you fainted. Probably from the stress of the sudden transformation." Matthew said. He figured that was wrong, but it sounded more polite then saying she passed out because she'd just flashed her boyfriend and two strangers. "Anyway. Alastor sent...that _thing_ ahead to Belinsk to be tried under your rule. Seems he was up to a lot more then just his job. Anyway, the bridge we set up is still there for now, but they are gonna tear it down after we get across so they can build a more permanent one." He explained. "Oh yes, and one of the couples living on the other side sent some clothing for you, after hearing what had happened. It's a shame, really. You looked very nice in that kimono." He finished.

Sveta sat there thinking, and making sure to hold the covers up so it covered her fully. "I...see. That is a lot to take in. Oh, I am sorry Matthew could you leave so..."

Matthew nodded. "Right right, I'll leave you to it then." He said, leaving the room quickly.

Sveta just sighed. This relationship, was moving very quickly. And, her mind though, it was about to come to a screeching halt pretty soon. Karis and Tyrell had been as kind as they could, but neither her nor Matthew could dodge their destiny forever. She slowly put on the clothing, a loose shirt and tight bottoms with a green over coat. She very rarely wore green, but somehow this time it didn't seem to clash with her hair, instead melding together quite nicely.

She finished getting dressed and stepped out onto the balcony, looking at the stars shining above the quiet and recovering town. She smiled, times like this made her forget who she was, and she cherished them more then any other. Matthew had stepped outside, and seemed to be looking at the sky like she was. With a glance, he spied her and grinned. She looked down at him and smiled.

"Don't they have a story like this?" She asked, looking over the balcony at him. She stepped back with a surprised, but happy, shout as he flew past her and hopped onto the balcony. He just loved playing with Grip.

"I don't think that is how the story went." She remarked to him with a broad smile.

"It probably should have." He said, placing a kiss on her lips under the moon light. She was happy...but...

"Matthew..." She said, sadly, pushing him away. Matthew looked stunned, and his face betrayed it.

"I'm sorry." She said. "But we have to come to this sooner rather then later...this isn't going to work."

Matthew was thunderstruck. After all that had happened...after all they'd been through...now she was giving up? "Says who?" He asked.

"Matthew..." She said, her face betraying how this tore her up. "I...just can't keep doing this...loving you when we are together, and having to hide it when we're in public...it's like I'm living two lives."

"So stop!" Matthew said, fearing what she was saying. "Why do you care what they think? Does it matter if you choose to associate with a commoner?"

"Don't say that!" She shouted, before regaining herself. "Matthew...I'm royalty. How I appear to others is the reason for my life..."

Matthew felt himself torn apart by her saying this. After everything...after all he'd done...it just wasn't enough...

He turned from her, looking over the balcony again. "I guess this is goodbye then."

"Matthew..." She said, reaching out for him. But he pulled away from her. "Matthew...please...it doesn't have to be like this."

"It does though, you said it. Your duties are too important to you. It'd probably better if I wasn't around to distract you anymore." He responded, trying to keep his face stone. He couldn't even look at her.

Her eyes started to tear...how could he...say that? "You...don't mean that..." She said, trying to hold back the sorrow she felt.

"Good luck with the reconstruction Queen Czarmaral." He said, as he jumped from the balcony. Her cries of anguish filled the night air, and caught his ears even as he left the town.

* * *

><p><em>Before I get lynched by my fans for ruining what could have very easily been a happily ever after ending, I'm going to do some review responses.<em>

_Waypoint: It seems that the title does still hold meaning, but it could just be that I am a bastard like that. :D_

_Kaos: Now this is a tricky question. I cannot really answer it without spoiling some stuff, but I will say this. In a world so covered by Psynergy, it does seem odd that someone could go so long without it being discovered. Also, don't worry about Dinar, his part in this is far from over._

_Dark-Dullahan: I hope you aren't too upset at me turning a happy ending into a tear jerker, but there might still be a happy ending for them in the future! You never know._

_BlackAcer: Yep, not the end. And I can't end it here either, my fans would hunt me down and kill me!_

_Keep reading and reviewing people. The response to the last chapter was staggering, and I have never felt so appreciated. Thanks a bunch! Also, as an aside, when I read the final part of this chapter, it brings a tear to my eye...and I wrote it! Once again, very pleased with this chapter, to spite it being such a massive Player Punch.  
><em>


	11. A New Perspective

_The review downpour seemed to go back down to a trickle. Well, it's a good thing I'm not writing for reviews then. Still, I expected the ending of the last chapter to gather more reviewer response. You guys are a fickle lot. Moving on, we have chapter 11._

-Don't Cry: Chapter 11-

Sveta fell to her knees on the balcony, no longer able to contain her own sorrow. Just a moment earlier the man she loved, more then any other, had left her life, possibly forever. And he couldn't even call her by her name...he couldn't even look at her. She couldn't even bare to look at _herself_ right now. Why had it happened like this? This wasn't how it was supposed to be! Her sobs choked their way out of her throat, the tears burning their way down her cheeks. She felt only pain, as she lay there on the balcony devoid of all energy. She felt a hand on her back, and didn't even move to see who was there. She didn't care, they could be an ally or an enemy and she didn't care one bit.

"Tears aren't fitting for ya." A foreign, but familiar, voice spoke to her. She struggled to look up, and saw a man there, his brown hair tossed about and his traveling clothes clearly dirtier then when she'd last seen him. He was...the man from the ravine? Sveta looked at him, not able to stop her tears.

"W-Why are...*Hic.* Y-you..." Oh great, now she'd given herself the hiccups in her hysterics. She then found that she didn't care why he was here. He'd saved his life, he'd saved _her _life by saving him. And then she'd gone and ruined her own life.

"You looked like you needed a little guardian angel, so I figured I'd help out..." He said, sitting next to her quietly. "Now why don't you tell me what happened?"

Sveta tried to stem her tears, failing miserably. "W-well..." She began, trying to talk through the burning pain she felt in her chest.

* * *

><p>Matthew, for his point, had made it all the way to the eastern gate of Border Town before his own eyes started to shimmer. If he hurried, he could still catch up with Tyrell and Karis. Wiping his sleeve across his eyes, he found that it was not as effective as he imagined in restoring his vision. He took a step outside the gate, and a voice stopped him.<p>

"So...that was fast. Nice work kid."

Matthew wheeled about, and laid eyes on a stranger to him. He wore a noble's tunic, some fine pants with a light gold trim, and had a sword on his back. It wasn't until he saw the head of black hair and the slash across one of his eyes that he recognized the man. "You're...that General." He remarked.

"Alastor will do, kid." He responded. "And I don't think I've ever seen a child make and screw something up that quickly before."

Matthew was not in a good mood right now, and this pretentious old man was not helping him any. "Listen you old geezer." Matthew spoke, aware of how rude he was being. "I am _really_ not in the mood for a 'Kids are dumb' talk. So I'd advise you leave before I decide to take my anger out on you."

Alastor just chuckled darkly. "Listen to me or I'll beat you up? Nice kid, I bet bullies the world over are quaking in their boots."

"I'm warning you..." Matthew growled, gritting his teeth.

"Listen to yourself cry. Like a kid. You don't even know what you want, and now you're all angsty and raging against the world because things aren't perfect."

Matthew snapped, and turned to throw a punch at the man. The next thing he realized, he was on the ground looking up at the night sky. "Is that it? For all your talk, you sure fight like a kid."

Matthew felt his anger boiling over, and made to get up. "Why you..."

"Oh please, let's keep going. I haven't done my workout yet today. But don't you have something more important to be worrying about?"

Matthew turned his back to the man. "How is my personal life any of your damn business?"

"Well, if you were going to break her heart, why didn't you just let her marry Lord Elindow?"

Matthew rounded on him. "Because she doesn't _love_ him! She was doing it because she was _forced to_!"

The man looked back at him, cold eyes piercing into him. "Oh, and we see how well _love_ worked out for her, didn't we?"

Matthew growled and threw another punch. This one, Alastor grabbed, and then kneed him fiercely in the gut. Matthew dropped to a knee, wheezing. "Pathetic. Now stop acting out and just listen, kid."

"Stop...calling me...kid." Matthew growled.

"Maybe when you stop acting like one." Was the retort afforded him. "Gods this is why I didn't want kids...you always think you know everything."

"What do...you know...?" Matthew spat out, staggering back to his feat.

"I know that an hour ago you'd have died for that girl. Two days ago you nearly did. And now...what?" He laughed. "It's so fitting, one little roadblock that reckless emotion can't conquer, and you kids all fall apart. You're all good at the dramatics, the force, the passion. But that's not what makes it work kid, it's the little things that are what make or break it."

"Like you know anything, _anything_ about us." Matthew had resumed standing, though seemed to have given up on besting this man physically right now.

"Oh come on." Alastor said, sighing. "Like it wasn't obvious in the first place? She's worried about what people will say about her marrying a commoner, and you flipped out on her like it was some kind of a betrayal." He looked right at Matthew, drilling into him. "Life isn't simple kid, something you've gotta look at the bigger picture. I don't know what your story is, but you have somewhere to go, right?"

Matthew said nothing, but Alastor continued.

"And she does too, right? So, you think that's it, it'll all end right there because that's just the way it has to be?" Silence again. "Gods, you teenagers, all you can do is panic when things don't go perfectly. Here's a news flash kid, life isn't perfect."

"And what makes you such an expert on this!" Matthew nearly shouted. He was getting tired of the 'You dumb kids' approach.

"What, do you think I was just born a soldier?" He asked. "I do have a wife you know."

Matthew was stunned. The idea that this General, as rough and seemingly without a heart as he was, was a husband to someone boggled his mind.

"Now, since you want to speak so badly. Why don't you explain to me what was so important that required you to leave and reduce the girl you just _risked your life _and defeated scores of my soldiers for, to wanting to kill herself?"

Matthew stalled, unsure of how to respond.

* * *

><p>The crying had stopped, though the sobs came now and again as Sveta sat on the balcony, the man named Dinar next to her. "Wow, that's quite the story. You've been busy!" He remarked with a bright smile, this only served to strengthen her sobs however.<p>

"Hey hey, no more of that now. Come on, it's not gonna solve anything. And besides, don't we have more important things to do then sit here and cry?"

Sveta nodded once, wiping her eyes and trying to compose herself. "I'm just so lost...it was...so perfect. Everything was right...we were together, we were free and happy...but then...I saw the future for me...and it scared me."

Dinar smiled as he looked at her. "You know why I like gambling?" He asked her, she looked at him oddly through her tear stained eyes, clearly not understanding what the question had to do with anything.

"Because it's random, it's chaotic, you never know what will happen. All you can control is what's in your hand. What the other guys do, that's on them. And sometimes, it's all down to luck. It's like life, all you can do is the best with what you see, and then see how the cards fall. But one things for sure, it never goes _quite_ according to plan."

"All I wanted..." Sveta began. "Was to be happy...am I really not allowed even that?"

"Sure you are." He replied. "But sometimes, it's a high price to pay. Tell me, what's keeping you from being happy right now, tonight."

Sveta thought for a second. "I chased away my best friend, he couldn't even look at me, because my people would never approve of us being together." She said, truthfully.

"And why not?" Dinar asked.

"There has...already been some backlash from what we did... Beastmen saying it was all the humans fault, because a Sanan was the one who actually activated the tower. They deal with Matthew and the others...but if they had to accept him as a ruler...they wouldn't."

"So?" Was his simple reply. So? Did he not understand how dangerous a civil war over the heir to the throne was right now?

"There could be a rebellion, we are too weak to deal with that. The other nations would certainly pounce on the opportunity." She explained.

"Oh really? Tell me, who are you fearing an attack from?"

Sveta paused for a second, the two biggest threats to Morgal's recovery...from before the war.

"Sana and Bilibin." She spoke quietly.

"And as I recall, the Lord of Bilibin just promised to end all hostilities towards Morgal. And didn't you rescue the entire next generation of the Sanan Royal Family on your little adventure?"

Sveta paused, considering this. "How do you-"

"Not important." He said, waving it off. Sveta was concerned, but let it drop. "Unless you think King Wo is going to cross Craggy Peak and turn his back to Ayuthay just to hit you, I'm afraid I don't see your point. So you have to ask yourself, is the threat of a rebellion worth it?"

Sveta stopped, considering all he said. It seemed so simple when he phrased it like this. "I...don't know. It seems like a large gamble...and my people would suffer for it..." She said, still torn.

"The bigger the reward, the bigger the wager." He replied simply, and then looked up for a moment. "Let's go down stairs, it's drafty here and you'll get sick. Come on now." He said, offering his hand to her. She took it and followed him, still unsure as to her path.

* * *

><p>Matthew laid on the ground, groaning. Three times more he'd lost his temper, and three times he'd been knocked back down to the ground.<p>

"Urgh...how are you...that good?" He groaned, stumbling back to his feat once again. Alastor just looked at him disdainfully.

"You think I became a General just by asking nicely for it?"

"Why are you even doing this?" Matthew asked, trying to maintain his temper. "What do you have to gain?"

Alastor locked gazes with Matthew for a moment. "I already told you, your father saved my life. I'm trying to repay that by keeping his son from ruining his."

"It wasn't my decision to make..." Matthew said, looking away stubbornly.

"Oh right, because I am so sure she told you to leave, and that she never wanted to see you again. That's probably exactly what happened."

Matthew's fists clenched, but he didn't act. He was speaking the truth, but he was being such an ass about it. "Ok, maybe I over reacted, but what was I supposed to do? She said we couldn't be together, how was I supposed to respond when she said she cared more about her people then me?"

"You don't understand royalty at all. Tell me kid, how many people do you know that would die for you?" He asked, quietly.

Matthew thought for a moment, not sure himself. "I don't know, maybe a dozen?" His seven companions, his parents, Garet, Ivan, and any of the other Warriors of Vale probably would. "Why does it matter?"

"Because she has _thousands. _More to the point, there will come a time in her life when she will, in all likelihood, have to send some of those people to their deaths. Can you even comprehend that? Having to send someone who would die for you out, when you knew it was likely sending them to death. And knowing they were _glad to do it_?" He paused, letting it sink in. "Imagine it, sending your best friend to his death, and he'd leave with a smile. Come to think of it, didn't you do that when he launched you over the gate? How did you feel then? Did you feel anything?"

Matthew paused. He'd been so worked up in the heat of the moment, he hadn't had time to worry about them until they'd dispatched all the soldiers inside. And by that point they were already there. His best friends had nearly died for him to try and rescue their friend, the girl he loved, and here he was throwing it away.

"You've spent your life responsible for yourself. She spent hers responsible for everyone around her. Those she knew and those she didn't." He turned and looked back to the town. "So maybe, before you go attacking her like that, you should think about how she felt. After all, you don't know what the burden of royalty is."

Didn't Tyrell and Karis deserve him to try harder then this to make it work? They'd done way more then could be expected from normal friends to try and help make it work. They'd done more then he had...All he'd done was blame her for trying to balance every part of her life. She'd been trying to find a middle ground, and he'd destroyed it.

When he noticed Alastor was gone, he felt significantly worse then he had at any time since he'd left Belinsk.

* * *

><p>Sveta sat down at a table in the bottom floor of the inn, placing her head down on the table in despair. All the talking didn't mean a thing, he was gone. She couldn't tell him anything if he wasn't here. Sure she could catch up to him...but the way he spoke to her...she was scared. She'd never seen that anger directed at her, and it just tore her up inside.<p>

Dinar was standing at the window, and seemed to see something interesting. He moved by Sveta, placing a hand on her shoulder as he did.

"Ante up." He said with a smile. Before retreating up the stairs.

The door opened, and the light flooding out of the inn illuminated the figure standing there in the darkness. Sveta looked up, and her breath caught in her throat.

"M-Matthew..." She whispered out.

Matthews movements were quick. His actions deliberate. He moved through the inn, trying to keep his conviction intact long enough for him to reach her without something happening. He wasn't sure what that something was, but he just had this feeling. "Sveta..." He said, his voice wavering for just a moment. "We need to talk." He finished.

She looked up at him, her eyes dried and showing a strength she definitely did not feel. "Yes, we do." She said, keeping her eyes locked on him as he sat down across from her. They stared at each other in silence for a moment before a deep breath.

"I'll start..."

And they stared at each other, the smallest of smiles creeping on to each of their lips, before hastily vanishing. "Go ahead Matthew." Sveta said, pulling back and allowing him to speak.

Great. _Ok Matthew...you were ready for this...you can do this. Just...say what you are thinking..._

"Sveta. I said some horrible things. Some really awful things I didn't mean. I just, I was scared. I thought..." He paused. "I thought you cared more about your title then me, then all of us. But I realized..." He stopped again, placing a hand on hers. "That you care about all of your people, not just your nation. I couldn't understand that the way you do. I think I do now, I think I finally understand why it's so hard for you. It'd be like me trying to choose between my family back home and you, it's...not an easy choice."

Sveta nodded, about to talk, but Matthew continued.

"But that doesn't mean that I, or you, have to pick one or the other. We can both keep all of the things that are important to us. At least...that's what I want to do." He said.

Silence filled the room again, and Sveta looked at him as if to ask if he was done. He nodded. She locked eyes with him, and spoke clearly.

"I am going to ask you one question, and I want an honest answer."

"All right." Matthew responded, unsure as to what was coming.

"Do you love me?" Sveta asked him, her eyes were serious, as if she were gazing into his soul.

Matthew was about to answer when he paused. "Two hours ago I would have answered that without even thinking. But I don't know. You are...one of my dearest friends, you are one of most loyal companions I have ever met, and I won't deny that you're attractive too...but...lately I've had to give more thoughts as to what _love _is."

Sveta nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Matthew. I feel the same about you, and I desperately want to make this work. But you have to understand what I see. My people are weak, they are trying desperately to recover, and I abandoned them to come here and be a child again. I cannot do that, I have a responsibility to my people. When we return to Belinsk, that will be the end of our adventures together. I will have to remain there to aide my people. I know you have people you must return to as well, and you cannot ignore them. It seems that our parting was destined."

This hurt Matthew. It felt like she was ripping his heart out with these words.

"However." Sveta continued. "I believe Karis said it best. We are all still young. There is no reason we cannot meet again. For now, you have your obligations, and I have mine. I do believe that one day we will meet again, and I wish desperately to see that day. Matthew, I do love you, but we cannot be together at this point in our lives. It pains me to say this, but this is simply how it is."

Matthew nodded. "I understand Sveta. From now on, until our paths allow it, we are just as we were before. Companions, and the best of friends." He got up from the table, and looked deeply into her eyes. "I am sorry it took me this long to realize it. This is the way it had to be from the start. But just because it is an end, does not mean it is the end."

Sveta had to agree as she stood from the table as well.

* * *

><p>"After you cross, we will begin demolishing the bridge. It will take some time, but it will no longer be safe to cross, so make sure you have everything you need." Alastor spoke to Matthew.<p>

Matthew checked his things, and when certain he had it all, nodded to him. "Yes, I should be good." He extended his hand to him. "Thank you General Alastor. I cannot speak for my father, but I would like to think your debt is repaid."

Alastor looked at him, and took the young boys hand. "You know kid...sorry, Matthew. You aren't as dumb as I'd have thought. Just try to keep your head on your shoulders."

Matthew grinned slightly at the remark. "I'll keep that in mind. Oh, and don't worry about the bridge, I'll take care of it." He said, getting a grin across his face. He walked next to Sveta, and looked at her with a smile.

"Ready to head out Sveta?" He asked, adjusting his pack on his shoulders. She picked up her own pack and grinned back to him. "Ready as always Matthew, let's get going."

And the two crossed the bridge they'd once constructed. The bridge that started everything, that they would be the last people crossing. The Beastmen from Border Town had already returned, and cheered from the other side as Matthew and Sveta crossed. Matthew peered over the edge, and this time felt nothing. He wasn't afraid, he had his friends with him. When at last they reached the other side, Matthew slipped the pack off of his shoulders. He cracked his knuckles and looked at the wooden bridge.

"Stand back!" He called to the other side, and the demolition experts stood back slightly surprised. Matthew focused for a moment before raising his hand into the sky. People gasped as a large collection of Psynergy began to form in the air above his hand. And with a swing of his arm, he plunged it down in the form of a sword.

_Ragnarok!_

The blast of Psynergy struck the bridge, shattering it into pieces. Some of the wooden planks reached the sides, as the majority of it plummeted into the ravine. Sveta just looked over Matthew's shoulder.

"Was that absolutely necessary?" She asked him.

"No." Matthew said, shrugging. "But it was fun." He added with a grin. Sveta chuckled. "Boys." She rolled her eyes with a smile.

Matthew was about ready to go, looking about the cheering crowd assembled on this side. They were pressing around him, thanking him for rescuing the Queen, asking for more stories from Sveta, and at least one rather attractive vixen asked him if he'd like to stop by for dinner, which he politely refused, saying they needed to get back to Belinsk.

Sveta, however, seemed to find something odd. "Hey Matthew, take a look at this..." She said, examining one of the planks that had been thrown to this side. Matthew moved over to it, craning his head to get a look.

"What's wrong?" He asked, and Sveta showed it to him.

"It has Karis' name on it..." She said. True enough, 'Karis' was carved into the piece of wood, in an odd hand. Matthew knew he'd seen it before. Suddenly the memory hit him, and he burst out laughing as he held the plank.

"Oh we have _got_ to take this!" Matthew said. Sveta looked at him and arched an eyebrow, before taking advantage of his laughter and touching his forehead. Matthew didn't realize what was happening until she had already done it. Her eyes went wide and she began laughing as well.

"Tyrell, really? Hahaha, and here I was just teasing Karis!" Sveta said, through her own laughing. "Oh my, that really is funny. I almost wish I could be there when you give this to Tyrell, his reaction will be priceless."

"Tyrell?" Matthew said. "Oh no way, Karis is getting this. I think her reaction will be _way_ funnier." Matthew responded, laughing brightly as he started walking towards the edge of town.

Sveta walked with him, giggling herself as they waved goodbye to the people of Border Town. As she did, she heard Matthew speak.

"Sveta. Just to make sure. Where do we stand now?"

Sveta smiled, poking Matthew's arm. "You are my friend, my companion, and my escort. Anything else, we will decide when the time comes."

Matthew looked into the sky and smiled. "I can live with that."

* * *

><p><em>STILL not over, but this felt like way too good of a place to leave off. Next chapter will be different, but the ending is fast approaching. If you have any questions or comments, let em fly. If you don't have any, at least stop by to leave a review. Nothing better then reading reviews after writing a new chapter.<em>


	12. Protector

_Been a while (For me) since the last chapter. Sorry bout that, life just got away from me. Anyway, a massive response to the last chapter, and some very good questions were brought up. I'll be sure to address them after the chapter._

-Don't Cry: Chapter 12-

Trudging through the Konpa ruins was far easier then either of them expected. It would seem that the cavern where they had met Kraden, Rief and Nowell was actually the end of the cavern in general. So all it took was a few carefully timed jumps to reach the southern end of the cave. Once they'd reached the exit, though, that was when the trouble started.

Karis looked at the landslide in front of them. It looked different from this side, but still impassible. "Well...doesn't look like this is going to be easy..." She remarked dryly, examining the stone. Tyrell stepped forward, and cracked his knuckles.

"Says who? I'm a lot stronger then I was back then. I'll rip right through this!" He announced, taking a wide stance.

Karis had been studying the rocks for a moment, turned in horror as she felt the Psynergy forming. "Tyrell!" She shouted. "Wait, Stop!"

But it was too late.

_Eruption!_

The ground turned into a molten red as Karis slipped and fell onto her back. The rocks exploded, showing her with pebbles and dirt. But if that was the worst of it, then it would be fortunate for the pair of them. Tyrell wore a proud smile for but a moment, before the roof of the cavern started to groan. The pair was silent for a moment, frozen in time, as the cavern closed down on them.

Tyrell had been back far enough. When his vision returned, he saw streams of light filling the cave, they'd broken through! "Oof. A little more then I wanted, but it worked. See Karis?" He started, looking to the side. The area Karis had been standing on was now covered by fallen boulders. Tyrell's smile faded, as his mind hit the realization of what he'd just done.

"Karis!"

* * *

><p>The journey to Belinsk was odd. After a few days of romance and love from the two, going back to strictly platonic relationships felt weird. They each had their own tent, they spoke as friends, not lovers. But aside from that, it felt much the same as it always did. They only had to make camp once on the way back to Belinsk anyway, and by the second uneventful day, the city walls were in view.<p>

Sveta smiled broadly when she saw them. "I never knew I would feel this happy to return." She said to Matthew. Matthew couldn't help but smile himself, her joy was contagious.

"So." He spoke. "I hope your little adventure was enjoyable, since it was your last."

Sveta turned to him with a smile. "Well...it wasn't perfect, but I suppose it will do." She said with a playful grin. "By the way, when you interrupt a wedding with a dramatic entrance, you are supposed to wait until they ask if there are any objections." She joked.

Matthew shot it right back at her. "Sorry, I was running ahead of schedule. I'll be sure to remember that next time."

"I'd like to hope I don't need to be rescued from my next wedding." Sveta remarked with a smile. She killed the conversation there, no need for either of them to go down this thought path. It would only make the parting more difficult. So, in silent peace, the two approached the city walls.

When Sveta passed through the arches, she was amazed. Houses almost entirely reconstructed, shops being prepared, obviously beginning their re-opening preparations, and the people were running about the streets, all very obviously busy. But...they all seemed happy. Every face had a smile, as they worked at a furious pace. What on Weyard? One of them seemed to notice them as he passed by, a golden haired fox.

"Oh!" He said, passing by with his arms full of lumber. "Good Morning, Your Majesty! Welcome back! I can't stay and chat, there is a lot of work to be done!" He exclaimed, not even slowing his pace. Sveta watched him run by and stood there, before looking to Matthew.

"What...happened? I have never seen this much...work. I mean, my people are not lazy, but this is..." She seemed at a loss for words, and Matthew had to agree with her statements. Everyone was working themselves as hard as they could, to restore their town, to restore their lives. Who could have inspired this in them?

"Ah! A welcome home to my two biggest fans." Came a voice from the arch, and they looked up to see a familiar face.

"Vande!" Matthew called, grinning at seeing the musician again. "What's going on here? What happened?"

He hopped down from the arch, bowing to Sveta. "My Queen. So good to see you again." She nodded to him with a smile.

"Thank you Vande, it is good to be home. Now, what has happened here in my absence?"

Vande chuckled. "Why, I think you know already. Your 'Viceroy' was quite adept at getting people moving."

Sveta's jaw nearly dropped. Bentley had done all of this? "But...he never seemed like he was any good with people. I just thought he'd keep the affairs in order until I could return." She said, still confused.

Vande nodded. "Oh yes, he's a horrible public speaker, but he's inspirational to the people. You see, every time they see him, he's running around like his tail is on fire. Always busy with this or that, working on the reconstruction. Well, the people saw that, and the general view was that if the ruler was working that hard, then everyone else should be working just as hard." He explained. "Sure, people didn't like it at first. After all, there was just so much to do. But once they saw how much work they were getting done. How much progress we were making on restoring our lives, well they all put their heart and soul into it."

Sveta looked over the recovering town with a bright smile. "I knew he was the best man for the job...but to accomplish this..."

Matthew looked to her and Vande with a smile. "Well then, we should go to the castle and let him know just what a good job he's been doing." He said, looking to Sveta. She looked happy, but slightly sad at the same time. They waved goodbye to Vande, and moved on towards the castle.

"What's wrong?" He asked her.

Sveta already knew better then to deny it. "He took to ruling...so naturally. Maybe I'm not cut out for this..."

Matthew swallowed hard. If she left him in charge, he could take her with him. They could be together, they could be happy. But...that was not what she wanted. She wanted to be a leader to her people, she wanted them to be able to rely on her, and she wanted to become an enlightened ruler.

"Well then, why don't you ask him to teach you?" Matthew said, turning to her. "I mean, he's obviously good at it. So he could probably teach you all about the in's and out's of the political system." He suggested.

Sveta turned back to him, a curious smile on her face. "Yes. Yes you are right. I have a duty to my people to rule them fairly and justly. I'm sure he will help me understand them better. It will take some time I imagine."

Matthew chuckled. "You didn't strike me as the type who was ever scared of a little hard work."

* * *

><p>"Karis!" Tyrell shouted, grabbing boulder after boulder and throwing it off of the pile. No no no no! Dammit! This wasn't how it was supposed to be! "Hang on Karis! I'll get you-" His voice froze in his throat. He'd uncovered something, her broken staff. Split into piece by the boulders that laid atop it. His heart fell instantly as he dropped to his knees among the rock pile.<p>

His haste...his recklessness...had killed his best friend. She'd always been there, to stop him from doing something dumb, to support him when he felt like he'd screwed up, and to back him up whenever he was actually right. And he'd never appreciated her for it...now she was gone forever. He raised a fist and punched it into the earth with a shout, not willing to move from this place. Even in his mind right now, he could hear her voice disciplining him.

"You idiot!"

Yeah, that was exactly what she sounded like...wait.

-Two Minutes Earlier-

"Tyrell! Wait, Stop!" She shouted, but he'd done it anyway. She went to back up, and the ground stole her legs away from her, as her staff clattered to the ground next to her. Laying on her back, she was showered with fragments of the rock and a dust cloud. It was the groaning of the earth above her that sent her mind into action. She raised her hands and felt the power, pushing it forward.

_Whirlwind!_

There were boulders falling in front of her already, and her wind gusts collided with them. Instead of the wind pushing forward, the resistance pushed the light girl backwards. She slid out of the path of the rocks, behind Tyrell. She felt her back connect with the stone wall a bit harder then she would have liked, and spent a moment regaining her bearings and returning to her feat when she heard Tyrell call out to her.

When she'd regained her senses, she saw him digging through the rocks. What on Weyard was he doing? He wasn't even going to see if she was all right?

She growled, and began walking up to him. She'd give him a piece of her mind for that stunt. "You idiot!" She shouted at him, ready to go into a full on rant against the red haired boy. "Do you have any-um."

Tyrell had just turned around from his kneeling position and seen her. His expression was odd. He wasn't crying, but his eyes did look oddly glassy. In a moment, he was practically on top of her, wrapping his large arms around her. She 'Eep'd' in surprise as his muscular arms squeezed.

"Oh gods Karis, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He spoke in a frantic tone. Karis was completely lost, this kind of behavior was completely uncharacteristic for Tyrell. Then she saw it behind him. Her staff, broken and splintered, in the pile of rocks he'd been digging through.

He'd though that he had killed her. She relaxed in this moment for a second only, before becoming aware of how strong Tyrell was. "Tyrell...you're...too strong.." She wheezed out. With this realization, Tyrell loosened his grip, and then realized exactly what he was doing and let go of her as if he'd been burned.

"Ah..." He said, looking back towards the exit. "I'm glad your ok...we should get moving though."

Karis had a huge lecture planned for him. A reprimand on how he had to be more careful or someone would get hurt. But now, she'd forgotten it all. "Yes." She said, happy for some reason she couldn't quite fathom. "Yes we should. Let's go Tyrell."

"Um...Karis?" He said, turning to her.

"Hmm?" She responded, not taking her eyes off of the road before them, though an odd smile formed it's way to her lips.

"I'm um...sorry about your staff." He said, awkwardly. Karis just waved him off.

"Oh don't worry Tyrell. Nobody got hurt, and that is what is really important. But if you really are sorry, you can always buy me a new one when you come to Kalay next." She said, an odd sparkle in her eyes.

Tyrell just winced. That staff had been a gift from her father. He didn't imagine anything good enough to replace that would be cheap. He sighed slightly.

"Yeah, I guess that's fair." He mumbled. Karis, however, turned on him.

"And don't think you are gonna get out of it by saying you are going to explore Sol Sanctum with your dad. I'm not letting you even think of touching another Soarwing until we don't need it anymore." She said, with a light smile.

"Hey, I just thought of something..." She said, pondering for a moment.

"Yeah, what's that?" Tyrell asked, moving into the sunlight.

"Well, this whole thing started because you broke the Soarwing, right?"

Tyrell winced "Yeah yeah, I said I was sorry already."

Karis giggled, quite uncharacteristic for her. "But don't you see? It was because of you that Sveta and Matthew got together. And it was because of them that...no never mind." She said, dismissing the thought as she moved forward.

As her pace quickened, Tyrell couldn't help but wonder what it was she'd been about to say.

* * *

><p>The quickening of pace that Karis had demonstrated earlier had tapered off fairly quickly. The sun was starting to set now, and her pace was downright sluggish. Tyrell turned to look back at her, for what felt like the hundredth time.<p>

"Come on Karis, we're almost to Harapa." He said, looking at the slim girl. She was breathing heavy, and her brow seemed to be pouring sweat. Tyrell looked concerned for a moment, and moved back to her. This little of a trip shouldn't be giving Karis this much trouble. "Hey...you ok? I can give you a ride, ya know like Eoleo used to do for Himi?" He couldn't quite remove the stupid smile from his face, and was not surprised when she batted his out stretched hand away.

"I don't...need your help...to walk..." She panted out, continuing her pace. She made it a few feet before she started coughing, her body shaking as she did. Tyrell sighed and walked up to her, placing his arm behind her knees and picking her up.

"H-Hey!" She protested. "Put me down...I can..." She started to say, before relapsing into another coughing fit. It was humiliating to be held by Tyrell like his bride, but she had to agree that she couldn't easily travel like this. Why did her chest hurt so? She had been fine when the day began, and all she had was a scrape or two from that cave in. She let Tyrell carry her, and felt oddly comfortable laying here. He was warm, probably because of him being a Mars Adept. Her eyes started to drift closed, maybe she'd just take a quick nap while he moved her.

Hmmm, a girl could get used to this. But as she started to drift away, another coughing fit took her. She felt something...wet?

Tyrell felt it too, and looked down at her. If she'd just thrown up on his chest...His eyes went wide when he saw the specks of red on his armor now. Karis no longer found the trip comfortable...how was a girl supposed to sleep with this much rocking?

The sound of Tyrell's boots running across the road, on cobblestones, and back onto dirt, soothed her into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

><p>The sun rose over the City of Water. Amiti had taken to rising early enough to see the sun rise every day. After a month of fearing for his people, trapped in the darkness, he never took the sun for granted again. A stiff breeze ran through his hair, and he smiled looking out over the ocean. It had not been long since they'd all separated, but it felt like forever. They'd just finished his uncle's funeral the other day, and he was King now. He knew it was coming, but it was still quite a shock to him. He'd been ready for this his entire life, he'd been trained for it, but now that it was here, he was just terrified. His thought was interrupted when a guard walked into his chamber.<p>

"Your Highness!" He announced, standing at the door frame. Amiti waved him in. "Two of your companions have just entered town." He spoke. Amiti's heart lept in his chest.

"Ah! Excellent, can you have them escorted here?"

The guard looked straight ahead, a dutiful soldier. "Your highness, they were taken to the medicine house upon arrival."

Amiti didn't stop to ask why, bolting out of the room and nearly knocking the poor guard over. The halls of his palace were second nature to him, and he ducked and weaved through the maze-like passages to arrive outside the medicine house in minutes. Without paying any mind to the courtesies of entry, he stormed into the building, looking about. Instantly, his eyes fell upon the two of them. Tyrell collapsed into a chair, attempted to wave away the personnel who tried to look after him, and in the bed he was next to, was Karis. Her face was slightly pale, her clothing had the odd stains of light blood on them, and she was wearing a very pained expression.

"Tyrell! Karis!" He said, moving over to Karis first. 'She was clearly the more injured one, that was the only reason why.' he convinced himself. He placed his hands on her chest, and focused. An infection...in her lungs? This was something odd though, something he hadn't seen before. At the rate it was causing her lungs to break down, she'd likely be dead within twelve hours. What was this odd infection? Something this dangerous should be known about.

"What happened?" He asked Tyrell, who looked about ready to pass out himself. Tyrell panted, grabbed a jug of water one of the nurses had, and drained it in a flash. Amiti was slightly surprised, but stemmed it.

"She just...started coughing a lot while we were on our way to Harapa. Then she coughed up some blood, so I grabbed her and ran here..." He explained. Amiti looked at him curiously.

"How did you get here? I thought the Konpa Ruins were blocked?"

"Yeah...they were." Tyrell said. "We were able to clear the path...caused a pretty scary cave in too."

When he said that, Amiti snapped up. Of course! That was why it was so familiar! It was an epidemic in Passaj, he'd heard it from Baghi. "We have some Opal Petal pollen here, correct?" He asked one of the healers, and he nodded. "Good, get me some."

Tyrell looked to Amiti. "What's that stuff going to do?" He asked. "Is it a medicine?"

Amiti shook his head. "Not like your thinking. It is an antidote for a very potent and rare infection. One that is usually associated with landslides and cave-ins. When did you say this happened?"

Tyrell scratched his head, yawning. "Yesterday...mid afternoon I guess?" He said, trying hard to remember. "She was fine after it, so I didn't really think anything of it." Amiti nodded for a moment, and then he looked at Tyrell confused.

"Did you say this happened yesterday afternoon Tyrell? In the Konpa Ruins?"

"Yeah..." Tyrell said, confused himself.

"How on _Weyard_ did you get here?" He asked flatly.

Tyrell shrugged. "I ran."

The room was silent, as all eyes were on the unassuming boy. "Tyrell...that's a _three day trip._" Amiti said completely bewildered.

"Yeah..._man_ am I tired...so is she going to be ok or not?" Tyrell said, clearly still worried. Incredible. He'd always known that Mars Adepts were full of life and energy, but he hadn't known just how much. To be able to run for probably twelve hours straight without dying...that didn't seem humanly possible.

"She'll be ok now." He responded. "The spore lives in cold pockets of air in the stone, so when it is exposed to the atmosphere it dies quickly. Which is why it only infects people caught in cave-..."

Tyrell was passed out in the chair. Amiti sighed and looked over to the healer who had returned with the small bottle. "Excellent. Leave this to me, I will require a lot of concentration. Try to move him into a bed." Amiti said, gesturing to Tyrell.

What a visit this was going to be.

* * *

><p>Tyrell rose with a yawn the next morning. He blinked twice, looking about his surroundings. A room...white curtain like things...a healing room? Crap! He was in Ayuthay! Karis! He turned to get out of his bed, and fell to the floor with a loud crash and a muffled curse. Struggling to his feet, he looked about the apparently empty room. Nobody else here. He pushed back the curtains, seeing another collection of curtains across the way. He moved to them, and peeked past the wall of linen. Inside, he could see it was Karis. She was sleeping right now, her face peaceful. More color, and a more relaxed expression on her face. The rising and falling of her chest let him see that she was still breathing too. He sighed in relief as he looked at her for a moment more, as a stray thought entered his head.<p>

_You know, she's pretty cute when she isn't yelling._

A step behind him caught his attention, and he whirled around. Amiti had been surprised by the sudden movement, and raised his hands. "Ah. Good morning Tyrell. I see you are feeling better."

Tyrell's first words were so predictable. "And Karis?"

Amiti smiled at him. "Relax, she'll be fine. Though she might not have been if you hadn't gotten her here so fast. It's a very rare infection, luckily I happened to have some of the cure stowed away. It's actually quite well known in Passaj. Basically, the spores that cause the infection live inside the mountain, and die rapidly once released. But if they get breathed in, they will fester in the lungs and cause a potentially fatal infection. You're lucky it didn't happen to you."

Tyrell thought for a second. "Yeah, I was closer to it then she was. Doesn't make a lot of sense." He said, tapping his chin.

"That's easy." Amiti said. "The spore thrives in cold and wet environments, you are a Mars Adept Tyrell, you are practically it's worst nightmare." The young king chuckled slightly, but it was clear to see that something else was on his mind. Tyrell wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he caught it.

"Something bothering you?" He asked.

Amiti waved it off. "Oh. It just that I had a vision the other night. I know I know, I'm not Himi, but it seemed so real. It was telling me there is something hidden behind the water in the chamber where we found the Insight Glass. But I cannot get there anymore."

Tyrell looked through the sheets to where Karis was sleeping, then back to Amiti. "You want to check it out, right? Well I could use a little workout after being out for so long." He said, stretching out and grabbing his pack from a corner of the room. "Let's go then."

Amiti held up a finger. "Just a moment." He said, moving through the sheets. In a minute, her returned, with a very familiar Jupiter Djinn with him. "I left one of mine here to look over her." He explained. "But we will need wind to get out once we reach the bottom." Amiti reached into his pocket and pulled out the Ice Queen Stone and the Insight Glass. "Are you ready?" He asked with a sly grin.

Tyrell pulled the Sand Prince Gem out of his side bag, and grinned likewise. "Was there ever a question about it?"

* * *

><p>The trip seemed a lot more fun the first time. Well, a lot more challenging at least. The ancient guardians weren't even a workout anymore, as Amiti's Masamune could cut through all of these pests so quickly that Tyrell's Herculean Axe barely even got a workout. Amiti had been oddly quiet for the entire trip, and conversation was at a minimum. Something about this whole thing felt off...<p>

Tyrell had known for a long time that Amiti had a thing for Karis, it was so obvious. To everyone except Karis of course. He'd always be the one healing her, while Rief would tend to others, he'd offer advice, listen quietly to her own worries and generally try to be a great friend. Tyrell recalled getting chastised by the young prince once before when Karis was particularly frustrated with him. But then why would he suggest to leave her bed ridden? Even if she was completely safe, it just didn't seem like something the young king would do.

Finally, with a splash, they fell through the water. They descended into the final chamber of the ruins, where the water cascaded down into a small room. Tyrell looked about, but saw nothing different from the last time they were here.

"Well?" He asked the king. "Now what?"

Amiti looked for a moment. "There." He said. "The wall where the Jenei face was." He pointed forward to serve as a reminder. "Try shooting a fireball there."

Tyrell nodded, hoping this wasn't all a wild goose chase. "All right then." He stepped forward and held out his right hand, focusing the power.

The water cascading down around them seemed to slow down. The thundering sound diminishing to a trickle, and through this sound Tyrell heard something as his power began to come forth.

The unmistakable sound of steel being unsheathed behind him.

* * *

><p><em>God, I am not pleased at all with this chapter. I was having a major problem writing it, but I decided to just finish it and move on. Hopefully the next one will be easier. I have some questions to answer, and I will do my best to oblige.<em>

"_How did Alastor school Matthew?": Simply put, Matthew wasn't fighting like a warrior. He was fighting like a raging teenager, and any experienced fighter can capitalize on that to use wasted energy against them. It's a principle of all martial combat. And a person who doesn't have Adept powers had to get good on just raw skill._

"_Why did everybody hear them/get involved?" This is a classic example of something being more obvious to me because I wrote the story. But since a lot of people asked this question, I guess it didn't get conveyed well. Sveta and Matthew argued in loud voices on a balcony, in the middle of a nearly empty town at the dead of night. It's no wonder people heard them. Alastor gave his reason for getting involved, and I don't need to give a reason for Dinar. Half of you with think he is just a nice guy, and the other half will think it is all part of a nefarious plot._

_Wrong Ruler: Thanks Waypoint, totally missed that._

_I think that's most of the big questions I had to answer for. Now I imagine I'll have a lot more as we work into the internal (And external!) debate on SparkShipping versus StormShipping. Honestly I am a big fan of both, but the two are in conflict in my head often enough. And now the two are in conflict in the story as well._

_See you next time!_


	13. As It Began

_This is going to be a long chapter, and I apologize for this. There was no good spot to split it between two, and there is a lot that needs to get done. So to continue from where we left off..._

-Don't Cry: Chapter 13-

"_Tyrell! Pay attention! You're leaving yourself open on your left!" The older Mars Adept chastised. Tyrell leveled his training sword at the taller opponent and gritted his teeth with a defiant smirk._

"_It doesn't matter how open I am if my attack hits!" He announced, blitzing his opponent. A quick spin and a smack on the back of his neck from his opponents practice sword sent him into the dirt._

"_Idiot! You can't do anything if you're dead! Now get up, we're starting over from the beginning until you get it!" The red haired man fumed. A chuckle to his side turned his head though. "Something funny Isaac?"_

_The blond man just shook his head. "Not at all Garet. But perhaps we should take a short break. After all, training isn't effective if you get exhausted. Right Matthew?" Isaac asked down to Matthew, who was sitting on the dirt with his fair share of bruises, breathing heavily. He nodded wordlessly._

_Garet grumbled, and then agreed. "Fine fine. But I was serious Tyrell! When you're rested we're starting over from the beginning!" _

_The two boys sat down and broke out a pair of water skins, refreshing themselves greedily. Isaac and Garet sat to the side, sipping theirs slowly._

"_They are getting better." Isaac said, looking over to Garet. "You have to admit, they have made definite improvement."_

_Garet just scoffed. "Matthew has, I'll give you that. But more skill has only made **that** knucklehead more reckless." He said, gesturing to his son. Isaac laughed._

"_You know, he takes after you a lot." Isaac remarked. And Garet shot the death glare that said he disagreed. "Now now, hear me out. You acted a lot like that before the bolder fell. You got knocked into maturity after that, but Tyrell hasn't had a moment like that yet. Plus he's got Karis to keep him in check, which means he doesn't have to keep himself controlled. You never had that." Isaac spoke._

_Garet chuckled. "Oh no? How many times did Jenna brain me for doing something dumb?"_

_Isaac laughed himself. "Was that before or after she usually helped you do it?"_

_Garet grinned sheepishly. "Ok, fair enough. Your wife wasn't exactly the most level headed one either. But I don't remember being that bad...it's like he's ten feet tall and bullet proof. Someday he's gonna get himself hurt like that."_

_Isaac nodded. "Your right. He's got your strength, your loyalty and your courage, but without the tiniest bit of restraint. He loves a good fight and he doesn't back down from one ever. But, luckily for him he's got one other of your traits..."_

_Garet looked over his water skin at his friend. "Oh? And what's that."_

_Isaac thought for a moment. "I always noticed that whenever we were in trouble, you always seemed to react faster then everyone else. Like you knew the danger before it was there. I guess you could call it a Warrior's Intuition. I've seen him do that. It doesn't happen in training, but you remember when Matthew nearly fell off the plateau?"_

_Garet nodded, curious as to what Isaac was going for._

"_Tyrell reacted to the ground breaking away before I did. I could sense the earth breaking apart, but he sensed something else. I'm telling you, he has that sixth sense of yours."_

_Garet shrugged. "I think you're just overestimating the both of us. In all those situations you're thinking of I just got lucky. It was just a feeling, nothing more."_

_Isaac just looked over the boys with a smile. "Perhaps."_

* * *

><p><strong>Clang!<strong> The sound reverberated through the small chamber, bouncing off of the stone walls and recoiling around the room. Tyrell's axe had blocked the blade, as he'd spun on his front foot to face the young King. Sure enough, he stood there with his Masamune held firmly, the weapon still against Tyrell's axe.

"Amiti! What the hell are you-" he started, but couldn't finish as the young king broke the attack and took a sideways slash at him. Tyrell jumped back, but felt the sword touch flesh anyway. It was razor sharp, and getting hit by it was certainly not a good idea. He continued backing up, putting distance between himself and the king. "Amiti! Cut this out!" He called, and Amiti met his gaze for once.

"No Tyrell, I cannot." He spoke simply, focusing his power into the blade. "Rise, Dragons of Water!" He called, and the swords tip erupted with power as twin dragons made of water flew forth, heading for Tyrell with their fangs bared. Tyrell held up his axe, and felt himself give ground as the creatures struck the axe and broke apart. The force was monstrous, and would have knocked a lesser man to his back.

"Amiti why? Why are you doing this?" He shouted, refusing to go on the offensive. He could take Amiti's hits, but one hit from him might kill the young king, and that was not something he was quite ready to do. The pause was not ignored, as Amiti charged Tyrell while freezing the air around him.

_Super Cool!_

Tyrell tried to move, only to find his legs frozen in a block of ice. Dammit, he had to...get out of this somehow.

_Flare!_ Tyrell called, forcing the wall of fire into form in front of him. To his surprise, Amiti charged right through the fire, bringing his sword down in a mighty slash. It struck true, cutting viciously across Tyrell's chest. However, the attacks had weakened the ice holding his feat enough that he could pull himself free. And he did, jumping back yet again until he felt his back hit a wall. He cursed feeling the wound on his front, this was not good. At least Amiti wasn't unfazed by that flare, it should slow him down.

And then Amiti backed up, and placed a hand on his own chest. In an instant, the burns vanished, and he appeared as untouched as when they had started. Damn it to hell, of course he would heal. And Tyrell had no manner of healing himself, so in a battle of attrition he would lose. He paused for a moment, but then began approaching the young king. "Amiti...I don't want to do this. She's not worth fighting over."

Amiti's face betrayed a look of rage for a brief moment. "You think I am trying to _win_ her from you? You uncouth barbarian! She is not yours to give!" He nearly shouted, forming up the power around him again. Tyrell growled, this didn't make any sense at all. Amiti valued loyalty, so why would he do all this?

_Deluge!_

The huge blast of water flew towards Tyrell, and he knew dodging it with his injury was not going to be possible. Therefore, he gathered his own powers and held out one hand, while his other reached into his pocket and grabbed something.

_Arid Blast! _The power of the gem came forth, and the torrent of water crashing towards him faded away, as the room filled with steam. Great, just great, now he couldn't see in front of his face. At least Amiti couldn't either, so maybe he could talk him down. Tyrell then felt someone around him using Psynergy...one he'd felt before, but not a combat Psynergy.

"So now you are blind...typical Tyrell, never thinking ahead." Came the voice from the steam. It was bouncing off of the stone walls, which made it very difficult to pinpoint. Tyrell turned slowly, trying to guess where the voice was coming from.

"At least I know you can't see either. So I might be able to talk some sense into your thick skull!" He shouted back, but Amiti only chuckled.

"Ah, but Tyrell. I can see you just fine." Tyrell fought the urge to act surprised while he thought...Amiti could see in this? How? Then it struck him...Insight. He gritted his teeth.

"This isn't right Amiti, we're friends! It's not worth it!"

"Tyrell..." Came the voice. "If you cannot understand my heart, then you won't ever defeat me! You are still as reckless and crude as ever! And that senseless violence is not suited to being a protector!" The voice bounced around them. Tyrell looked about the room, he couldn't see anything. Amiti could be right in front of him and he'd never know.

**Clack**.

What was that? The sound of...wood? Yes, wood striking stone. The water pounding down around them made it difficult to hear, but that sound stuck out. Then it came again...and again...and again! It was circling him. Wait! It was Amiti's sandals! Tyrell was going to turn towards the sound, but he thought better of it. To do so would give away the only advantage he had. So he waited, and listened. The sound moved around him, quietly...deliberately...Then it stopped, and Tyrell dropped his axe from his hands. It landed on the ground with a loud crash. Silence still, and then.

"Giving up? Brute force doesn't work, so you surrender? I'd expected more."

Tyrell didn't speak, he just waited, and listened. Then, all of a sudden, the sounds increased in intensity. He was moving fast, coming at his left side. He couldn't see him, but the sound was obvious.

_Inferno!_ Tyrell focused the enhanced fireball into his hands, and with a massive punch turned and launched it towards the noise. He felt his fist connect with armor and the steam began dissipating around the ball of flame. He saw him. Amiti's shocked face as Tyrell's fist had found his gut, the massive ball of flame stuck there, his sword raised high, and the scene seemed frozen...

And then it resumed, with the fireball flying away from Tyrell, carrying Amiti with it. He slammed into the far wall hard enough to crack it, and then fell flat on his face in the water, his Masamune clattering to the ground beside him.

* * *

><p>Amiti felt himself returning to the waking world slowly. His eyes struggled to open as he felt a searing pain from his chest and back. That was right, he'd been beaten by Tyrell...but then...?<p>

His eyes snapped open and he took in his surrounding rapidly. Ok, he was sitting up against the wall...curious. He remembered hitting the ground. Tyrell was standing across the room, staring down at him, and they were still in the final chamber.

"Didn't think it was a good death for a king to drown in three inches of water." Tyrell said, not laughing. Amiti chuckled for him.

"I suppose not...though I must admit, I kind of expected you to leave me for dead down here."

"I kind of thought about it." Tyrell said. "But I don't abandon my friends, and I want to hear your explanation for what the _hell_ just happened back there." He seemed angry, small wonder.

Amiti rose to his feet, and found his sword laying right next to him, where he had dropped it. He picked it up, shook the water off of it with one clean shake, and then sheathed it. Tyrell had watched him cautiously, but didn't move from his spot. "I suppose I owe you that much at least." He stayed where he was, the two of them separated by the distance of the room. "First a question if I may. How did you know where I was?" He asked.

"Your sandals." Tyrell remarked flatly. "They were making a very distinct noise on the floor when you moved."

Amiti stared at Tyrell oddly. "With all the water crashing down around us, you were able to pick out that sound?"

"Yeah...it's not too hard." He said, looking annoyed. Clearly he wanted his question answered now.

Amiti took a deep breath. "Tyrell. You are the most loyal companion I could have ever asked for. You don't hide things, you don't lie, you don't try to trick or use wordplay. Everything you do is at complete face value. However, I do not trust you, because you often act without thinking."

Tyrell frowned. He'd known all of these things, but it seemed like Amiti was making a judgment on his worth.

The King continued. "There were times that you demonstrated superior skill and foresight, but they were so few and far between I just called them luck. So, before I could let you leave here, I had to know if you were really skilled enough to protect her."

Tyrell finally understood. So it was about her after all. "You could have asked for a match instead of ambushing me." He remarked, still annoyed. Amiti shook his head though.

"No, I couldn't. As long as you thought it was a spar, you would be reckless and without caution, it would just be a game. I wanted to see how you would fight if you thought life and death hinged on what you did. You were magnificent Tyrell. Also I..." He paused for a moment. "I was worried about her. I wanted to convince myself that you were the more capable one to keep her safe. I don't doubt that anymore."

Tyrell held up a hand. "Now hold on there, I just got lucky. If we were outside, or on sand or something, you'd have beat me flat. I think you are kind of selling yourself short."

Amiti chuckled again, calling out Gust. "And that, in and of itself, is your strength Tyrell."

With a quick wisp of wind, the two were returned to the surface. Tyrell was left with far more questions then answers.

* * *

><p>"Tyrell!" Came the annoyed shout when the left the Alchemy Well. Tyrell's blood froze, he recognized that voice. He looked to the side, and Karis came walking up to the pair of them, obviously annoyed. Tyrell couldn't remove the smile from his face at just seeing her up and about.<p>

"There you two are! What's the big idea of just up and going on an adventure without me?" She fumed. Tyrell struggled to wipe the smile off of his face, but was failing at that. Karis glared to Amiti this time. "What was so important it couldn't wait until I woke up? Honestly..."

Amiti laughed with a smile. "I am sorry. The antidote I prepared used the last of a very rare herb. I wasn't sure if what we had was sufficient, so I went to go recover some more. Tyrell demanded to come with me, just to make sure I had no trouble getting it." He explained. At once, Karis' expression softened.

"Oh...well I guess that's ok then. You were just worried after all, thank you Amiti." She said, though she did not look at Tyrell. "I'd heard from the healers...it was called Ridge Rot? They made it sound like a very dangerous infection."

Amiti nodded. "Indeed. You are lucky Tyrell has such stamina. If he didn't get you here that quickly, you might have died."

Karis looked to Tyrell for a moment, before turning back to Amiti. "Well, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have gotten it anyway, so we'll call it square." She said, though a smile could be seen spreading on her lips.

Amiti laughed quietly, but then changed the topic. "Oh, by the way, I did have a question. Not that I mind but, why are you here? And where is Matthew?" Karis and Tyrell looked at each other and laughed.

"Oooh boy do we have a story for you Amiti." Tyrell said with a grin.

Amiti smiled back. "Well that is good, we can share stories over dinner. Come with me, I insist."

* * *

><p>Sveta and Matthew moved through the corridors or the mighty castle. It hadn't been that long since either of them had been here, but it felt like forever. Every hall they turned down there were guards, servants and lesser nobles greeting Sveta and Matthew. Some were a bit more enthusiastic then others, but they all seemed very pleased about their Queen's return. As the pair worked their way up the stairs to what was once Sveta's working room, she couldn't help but be nervous.<p>

The people seemed to love Bentley. Was it really right for her to come in and take everything back now that he had done all the hard work? To just take credit for a complete restoration that was already well on it's way? She was so bothered by this, that if Matthew hadn't spoken up, she would have walked straight into the door. Instead she looked up at his warning, and stared for a moment at the massive wooden door. Ok, it wasn't massive, but it felt that way. When she was little, her father...and then her brother, had been behind this door non stop. She always remembered the door as being huge, dwarfing her, but she had grown since those times. And now, it just didn't seem like it was the same room.

Sveta swallowed hard as she reached out and put a hand on the doors handle, opening it up. The sound of a quill flying across a piece of parchment met her ears, along with a familiar, frantic mumbling. She peered into the room, and saw a very familiar squirrel sitting behind the cluttered desk. Papers were strewn across it, as his hand flew from one sheet to another. As he finished one, he'd place it onto a side table and grab another, it was a flurry of activity, and even Matthew found it quite dizzying. He'd seen something like this when Karis really got into something, but she couldn't hold a candle to this guy. Bentley seemed to become away of the fact that his door was open and looked up, stammering.

"P-Please! I have no time for these trivialities! There is mu-" He took in who was standing in front of him, the quill falling from his hand as his mouth flew open. "Your Majesty!" He cried out. "Oh thank the gods you've returned! Please, please take the monarchy back! I beg of you, please!" He was around the desk and on his knees before her in a moment, pleading.

Sveta didn't know if she should feel worried or laugh, so she tried to remain serious. "But what is wrong Viceroy Bentley? I thought that the people loved you? Look what you have accomplished in my absence, it is a miracle!"

He looked up at her, still pleading. "Oh it started well your majesty. But then they all started wanting to talk to me, and build statues, and name places and ohhhh it was endless!" He wailed. "I've been locked in here for days because it is the only place people won't chase me!"

Sveta know knew what her reaction should be, she laughed. She laughed happily before placing a hand on the jittery squirrels shoulder. "Rise, I relieve you of your duties as ruler. I am ready." She said happily. "However...I do still need your help."

He stood, dusting himself off with a relieved sigh. "Anything Your Majesty, anything at all."

She moved back behind the desk, looking over the work he had been doing. "You are going to help me learn how to do what it is you do. I must admit, all of this paper work and management issue is quite difficult to me. But I cannot leave you to do it forever, you do have a family do you not?"

He nodded. "Yes your majesty. My wife, two sons and three daughters." He finished. Sveta shook her head.

"And how long has it been since you have stayed home for an evening?" She asked.

He thought to himself, and Sveta was quite unhappy when it seemed to take him more then a few moments to think of his answer.

"That will not do. Mr. Bentley, you are temporarily fired from my service. I do not want to see you in this castle for one week."

"B-But...Your Majesty!" He said, his jaw falling once again as he seemed about to faint.

"Is that understood?" She said, her gaze saying she would take no objections.

He swallowed hard and nodded. "Y-Yes...your majesty." He said, looking rather like an abandoned puppy. Sveta smiled.

"Good! I will see you bright and early next week then. You are dismissed."

As he shuffled out of the office, Matthew just looked at Sveta after observing the entire scene. "That was quite possibly one of the weirdest things I have ever seen."

Sveta chuckled to herself. "Trust me, there are many more. I plan to have the citizens take a bit of a break this week too. They have clearly been working themselves to the bone, and that will not do at all. But Matthew, there is something you can help me with during that time period. While you wait for the message to get to Champa and for Eoleo to show up, that is." She said, looking over at him from the other side of the desk and went to sit down, before blinking twice and stifling a giggle.

"What?" Matthew asked. "What's so funny?" He wore a confused expression, what was she going on about now?

Sveta then lifted several books off of the chair...and Matthew realized, his face splitting with a grin as he joined in with her laughter. With a smile, she removed the books and sat down. She sighed, relaxing into the fine material.

"It's nice to be back where I belong...but what I wanted your help with is actually more in line with tradition then what Belinsk really needs right now."

Matthew was now even more confused then he had been. His look must have betrayed that, because Sveta nodded and opened one of the lower drawers of the desk. She reached down and pulled from the desk a long and regal looking blue sheath. A sword? Matthew eyed it suspiciously.

"It was my father's." She explained. "Volechek wore it as well, when he was King. So I think this is now officially tradition. I have no idea how to use it though, I've never had one of these things before, and I will not tarnish the memory of it by being the first ruler to own it that could not use it." She said, looking to Matthew. He just grinned.

"So...you want me to teach you? Ok, don't worry, I was trained by two of the best swordsmen in the world!"

This was going to be a very interesting week.

* * *

><p>The dinner with Amiti had been remarkably pleasant, and very filling for the Mars Adept. The exact details of their trip below had not been discussed, but Tyrell still had a lot of questions. Amiti hadn't really answered him...and his logic seemed shaky at best. But then again, the King always did have this aura of enigma about him. He liked being cryptic. Tyrell was sitting outside of the castle, alongside the giant reflecting pond. Occasionally, he would pick up a stone and lob it across the water, watching it skip before it sank beneath the surface. The reflection of the stars on the crystal clean water's surface was like a work of art, and it seemed to calm him just being out here. It wasn't until he actually saw someone in his peripheral vision that he realized he was not alone. He turned and looked to his side as Karis sat down next to him. For a moment, she was quiet, and Tyrell returned his gaze to the pond. Finally, she spoke as he was about to throw another stone.<p>

"What really happened down there?" And the stone missed the pond completely, shooting over to the other side like an arrow before shattering on the outer wall. Tyrell tried to regain his composure as he looked straight ahead.

"What are you talking about? We told you." He said, keeping his eyes from her.

"You are a bad liar Tyrell." Karis accused. "And Amiti is even worse. Your armor was cut, by a really sharp sword. His clothes were slightly scorched, as if by a fire. Also the ends of his hair were rough, that's a sign of them being burned or exposed to excessive heat. So what happened, and why were you two fighting?" She didn't sound angry, and when he stole a glance at her he saw her calculating expression. She was trying to figure it out, and she already had some kind of an idea. Tyrell sighed.

"If I told you to just leave it be, would you?"

She didn't even pause for a second. "Nope."

Tyrell sighed even louder. Sometimes she could be so...difficult. "Fine, you win. We fought down there, or rather he attacked me." Karis's expression changed, and Tyrell saw the question her eyes were asking.

_Why?_

"I guess..." He groaned. "Amiti's had a crush on you for a long time. He thought I was your boyfriend or something, and didn't think I could protect you because I'm always getting myself in trouble. He said he wanted to 'test' me. He didn't really explain it well, you know how he is. Anyway, that's what happened." He kept the story as simple as possible. He hoped she'd just drop it and move on, that would make things so much easier.

"Well..." She started. Tyrell looked to her, she seemed to be waiting for something.

"Well what?" Tyrell asked, looking back to her.

"Well, are you?" She finished, her eyes not wavering for a moment. Initially Tyrell was confused, and thought about asking for clarification, then he realized what she'd meant.

_Gods...Damn...It._

"I don't think I'm exactly good material for that job. You did almost die two times in five days because of me." He said, reminding her.

Karis smacked him upside the head, punctuating every word. "You. Are. An. Idiot."

Tyrell smiled slightly. Good, back to as things used to be. She'd smack him around, probably shout at him, and they'd all continue on as things had been. Not a problem. But then she continued.

"You are a courageous, loyal, compassionate idiot." She said, resting her head on his shoulder with a small smile. "But I don't mind that." She finished.

Now Tyrell was bothered. What had she even said there? Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Argh! Why did everyone love being so cryptic? The pair of them stayed there for a few minutes more before Tyrell spoke.

"Hey Karis?"

"Mmm?"

"Was it...my fault?"

Karis pulled her head up and looked to him oddly. It wasn't like Tyrell to be like this. "You mean the cave in? Well...you didn't know..." But Tyrell shook his head no.

"That's not what I meant. I meant everything. The Eclipse, the monsters, all the people who died. None of it would have been possible if I didn't break that stupid Soarwing."

Karis wanted to laugh at him and call him stupid, but his face betrayed just how real this fear was to him. She looked to him with a smile. "No, it's not. You did something, you worked to fix it. We made mistakes, we all did, but in the end, we put everything right. I know it doesn't feel like that now, but it's not your fault."

Tyrell just sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right. After all, I'm just an idiot, what do I know?"

"You're my idiot, so it's ok." She whispered. And his cheek felt the slight pressure of her lips. So brief, not even a second, but the contact was there. And then before he could say or do a thing, she was on her feet walking into the castle. Tyrell was just left in front of the pond, wondering what on Weyard had just happened.

He'd summoned fire hot enough to melt stone and steel alike, it was within him and at his beck and call at all times. Then why was it now that his cheek felt hotter then anything he'd ever felt?

* * *

><p>Eoleo's ship came far too soon for Matthew. The last few days had been wonderful. Just as friends, as companions, he and Sveta had shared so much. They'd had some training and sparring sessions, they'd gone about the town to view the progress, they'd even visited Bentley's family. Matthew noted humorously, that even the children were more down to earth then their father. And now, he stood on the pier. On one side of it, the mighty pirate ship with captain and crew, and on the other side were Sveta and almost all of Belinsk, here to see him off.<p>

They'd said nothing yet. They merely caught each others gaze. How easy would it be? To grab her, to pull her into a kiss. He wanted to so badly, and he could see in her eyes that he was not alone with that desire. To throw all of the concerns and worries off to the side, and just live in a completely honest moment here. It would be so easy...

And as they locked their gazes, they knew it simply was part of having true strength. It was so easy, and that meant that they both knew it wasn't right. Matthew smiled and waved to her, and all the people of Belinsk behind her before boarding the ship. As he did, Eoleo looked rather sour.

"Hah!" One of his crew came up to him. "Told you they wouldn't! That's 100 coins, sir!"

Eoleo scoffed. "Hah, you think a pirate goes through on his debts? Not a chance! Now back below decks!" He ordered, leaving the dejected crew member to shuffled down the hatch. Eoleo sighed, looking to Matthew.

"I was so sure you were gonna hook up. Man, now I owe that guy money."

Matthew wanted to be insulted, but honestly it wasn't that surprising. "I'd be shocked that you bet on my love life, but honestly I'm more shocked that it was only a hundred coins."

Eoleo shrugged. "Not everybody makes as much as we do. Plus all of my share went into rebuilding Champa, so it's not like I have that much either."

Matthew laughed, turning to look at Sveta as they began to cast off. Suddenly, he remembered something and ran to the bow of the boat, looking at her as they backed out of the pier.

"Hey! Sveta! Remember that question you asked me the last time we were in Border Town that I didn't answer?"

Sveta thought for a moment, and then nodded, recalling the conversation.

"The answer is 'Yes'. I'll see you again!" He called, waving to her with a bright smile. No tears would find their way to either of their eyes today, nor tomorrow. After all, they knew they would meet again, it's not as if they entire world would up and vanish as soon as the Belinsk was out of sight. Once the ship had begun to sail away, Eoleo turned to Matthew before speaking.

"You know, something just felt off today...like you're missing something." He mused, looking over the boy. "Something just doesn't...ah!" He said finally. "Where the heck is your scarf?" He seemed both surprised and shocked at the absence of the piece of cloth.

Sveta returned to her office, and sat back down behind her desk. She unlocked and opened a lower drawer, and a familiar and comforting scent filled the room. As long as she remembered him, she would have the strength to be apart. She knew they'd meet again, this was just her reminder that it was all real.

And she remembered what he'd said to her when he gave her it.

_Hang on to this for me, will you? I'll be back for it someday._

Never. She'd never forget that promise. Never forget all they'd done, all they'd been through. No matter how long it took until they could meet again.

-Epilogue-

Matthew, Karis and Tyrell had finally reached the Goma Plateau. They approached the all too familiar bridge that lead to their quests beginning, and end. Karis was the first to break the silence.

"Ah, it's good to be back." She spoke with a wide smile. She'd been really happy for the trip back, and Matthew was hard pressed to figure out why. Everything seemed to be the same as always...well scratch that. Tyrell had been acting a bit more responsible lately. He'd suggested finding a path down a steep cliff instead of just jumping down it, had been remarkably restrained in using his Psynergy, and had even been slightly less argumentative with Karis...slightly. Tyrell was the first to cross the bridge, running across it excitedly.

"Nice to see the old cabin again, eh Matthew?" He asked, but Matthew merely stared off into space, his face showing a look of...what was that expression? Tyrell couldn't pick it out, and Karis seemed lost too.

"What's wrong, Matthew?" She asked. Tyrell stepped forward as well.

"Yeah, aren't you happy to be home?"

And Matthew silently pointed. They both followed his finger until their eyes saw it as well. The Mourning Moon...right over Mount Aleph.

"Oh gods..." Karis said, her hands flying in front of her face.

Tyrell clenched his fists. "No! Dammit!"

Matthew just kept his thoughts to himself.

_Sveta, I'm sorry..._

* * *

><p>"Hey! Did you hear the news?" The shop keeper said in a hushed tone to the man across the table from him, sitting inside a Bilibin pub. The man he was speaking to shook his head.<p>

"I heard that Lord McCoy was assassinated last night! And the young master went _missing_!" The shopkeeper spoke, a mixture of terrified and excited. "When one of the soldier's found Lord McCoy, he had claw marks up and down his body, they say it was a Morgal Assassin! Looks like whoever did it abducted his son too! The palace is in an uproar!"

As the two excitedly conversed in a hushed tone, another patron placed his drink down on the bar and reached into his pocket. With a flick of his wrist and a quick motion, he flipped and caught a coin. He stared at it for a second before smiling.

"Heads...looks like good luck for me." He remarked, getting up and walking out of the pub into the cool night air.

-The End-

_Well, that's all folks. I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I did writing it. I had a lot of fun with it, and who knows, there might be a sequel in there somewhere._

_I have one request for you, my loyal readers. In your last review, I would ask you to tell me what some of your favorite parts of the story were. This gives me an idea as to what I should continue to do, and what I should make to avoid._

_Scenes? Conversations? One-Liners? Let me know what you liked about it. Thanks for the feedback, and see you all in the next story!_


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